Please read the International Volunteer HQ’s (IVHQ’s) Terms and Conditions carefully before submitting your online booking form. By using this site and clicking on the box in the online booking form you agree to the following terms and conditions.
Travel
The volunteer is solely responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel, specifically including all airfares or other transport costs to and from the host country as well as any local transport costs. It is the responsibility of the volunteer to carry all necessary documents when travelling abroad. While IVHQ may advise the volunteer on required travel documentation, IVHQ are not responsible for any supporting documents necessary for the volunteers travel needs or other purposes.
Insurance
IVHQ does not provide the volunteer with insurance of any kind. While travel insurance is not mandatory to volunteer with IVHQ, it is highly recommended. The volunteer is solely responsible for evaluating and determining the type, extent and levels of any insurance coverage they need or desire for their planned volunteer travel period.
Refund Policy
Compared to similar companies that provide comparable comprehensive volunteer service opportunities, IVHQ’s registration and program fees are significantly less than the fees charged by other such companies and volunteers are encouraged to compare IVHQ’s fees to the fees charged by other similar companies. As a consequence, IVHQ operates on a much smaller profit margin and is therefore unable to provide and does not provide an open refund policy.
Registration Fees
The registration fee is refundable up to sixty days before the start of the volunteer’s placement in the host country. All refunds will be made less the costs occurred in processing the refund such as bank and transaction fees and an IVHQ processing fee. The start date used for refund purposes is the earliest date (in the situation volunteers change dates prior to starting) that the volunteer has indicated they wish to start.
Requests for registration fee refunds must be faxed or posted to IVHQ with the signature of the volunteer. Phone calls and e-mails are unacceptable. Once the volunteer’s refund request had been received by IVHQ, the volunteer will be notified immediately via email. If the volunteer does not receive such an email, the assumption should be made that the request has not been received.
If a volunteer registers and requests a verification email, they cannot then receive a refund for their registration fee should they withdraw from the program. Only 10% of registrations for that period in each country can be refunded.
IVHQ reserves the right to revise the registration fee at any time. All registration fee revisions will be made via the IVHQ website with seven days advanced notice given before they take affect. Registration fee revisions are not applicable to volunteers who have already submitted their online booking before the revisions are due to take affect. A volunteer’s placement on a program cannot be confirmed until registration fee has been paid in full.
Program Fees
Program fees paid to IVHQ or directly to our partner organizations are not refundable. Program fees paid through IVHQ by means of online payment, bank or wire transfer will need to have transaction costs covered by the volunteer. All program fee revisions will be made via the IVHQ website with seven days advanced notice given before they take affect. Program fee revisions are not applicable to volunteers who have already paid their registration fee before the revisions take affect. Program fees are due 60 days prior to the beginning of the volunteer’s program placement. Failure to make this payment can result in a loss of volunteer placement.
Personal Risks
The volunteer acknowledges and accepts the responsibilities and risks associated with their agreement to travel to, temporarily live in and provide volunteer services in a developing country. Such travel and volunteer work can be often hazardous and involves a certain degree of risk, inherently dangerous activities and personal perils to the volunteer, both foreseen and unforeseen, all of which are fully accepted by and solely assumed by the volunteer. Therefore, IVHQ including any and all of its employees, managers, directors, shareholders, host families and host country 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 by:
- Personal injury
- Emotional injury
- Death
- Illness or disease
- Damage to or loss of property
Drug and Alcohol Use
The volunteer must abide by the rules put in place by IVHQ’s partner organization, volunteer placement institution and host family in regards to alcohol consumption. IVHQ prohibits the illegal distribution of alcohol to participants who are not of legal drinking age in the host country. Furthermore, excessive and irresponsible drinking leading to intoxication and behavior that interferes with the volunteer program, placement or the rights of others is subject to immediate disciplinary action, and may result in dismissal from the program. Volunteers are prohibited from selling, using, or possessing any drugs that are considered by host country law to be illicit or illegal. Volunteers are cautioned that the possession of drugs is often dealt with harshly by host country law enforcement. Any drug infraction will be considered a grave violation of policy and will result in immediate dismissal from the program.
Miscellaneous
IVHQ does not warrant or make any representations regarding the correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise of the materials in this site or the result of their use.
IVHQ reserves the right to use feedback and images provided by volunteers for website materials such as testimonials.
IVHQ is not liable for any errors, lack of services or mistakes made by partner organizations.
This website is presented solely for the purpose of promoting IVHQ services and those of IVHQ’s partner organizations. This site is controlled and operated by IVHQ from its offices in New Zealand. IVHQ makes no representation that materials in the site are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who choose to access this site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible to the extent local law is applicable.