Terms of Service

These Terms of Service govern travel consulting, planning, coordination, and related services provided by Ben's Travel ("Ben's Travel," "we," "us," or "our") to the customer ("Customer," "you," or "traveler"). By requesting, approving, scheduling, paying for, electronically signing, or using our services, you agree to these Terms.

Our Role

Ben's Travel is not a travel supplier, tour operator, group manager, hotel, airline, cruise line, transportation provider, excursion operator, insurer, or other travel vendor. We provide travel consulting, planning, advisory, and coordination services only.

We are not the legal representative, agent, employee, partner, joint venturer, or representative of any travel supplier or vendor ("Supplier"). All travel services are provided by independent Suppliers, and their terms, rules, cancellation policies, refund policies, and liability limitations apply to your booking.

Consulting Fees, Payments, and Supplier Charges

Ben's Travel does not charge booking fees. Any payments made directly to Ben's Travel are strictly for consulting services only. Consulting fees are non-refundable once scheduled, regardless of whether you book travel, cancel travel, change your plans, or are unable to travel.

Most travel-related payments, including airfare, hotels, resorts, cruises, tours, transportation, excursions, insurance, and other travel products, are paid directly to the applicable Supplier. Supplier charges, deposits, penalties, refunds, credits, cancellations, changes, and payment terms are governed solely by that Supplier's rules and policies.

Ben's Travel does not control Supplier pricing, fees, rules, refund policies, cancellation policies, payment deadlines, or service terms.

Sponsored Content, Affiliate Links, and Compensation Disclosure

Ben's Travel may receive compensation or other consideration for recommendations, links, posts, videos, blog entries, social media content, emails, newsletters, reviews, supplier mentions, destination mentions, or other content we publish or share.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, you should assume that any recommendation, mention, link, review, itinerary suggestion, supplier reference, destination reference, product reference, or service reference may involve a material connection. This may include commissions, referral fees, affiliate compensation, sponsored content, advertising fees, supplier compensation, hosted travel, discounted travel, marketing partnerships, gifts, perks, or other consideration.

Compensation may be received from Suppliers, destinations, tourism boards, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, tour operators, insurers, advertisers, affiliate networks, or other third parties. Such compensation is separate from any consulting fee you may pay to Ben's Travel and does not make Ben's Travel the Supplier, manager, or legal representative of any recommended product or service.

Ben's Travel intends to make sponsored or compensated content clear and understandable. Disclosures may appear in or near the relevant content and may use terms such as "ad," "sponsored," "paid link," "I may earn a commission," "hosted," or similar wording, depending on the platform and context.

All recommendations are opinions and informational suggestions only. You remain responsible for deciding whether any destination, Supplier, travel product, insurance product, or service is appropriate for you.

Price Changes and Availability

All prices, rates, availability, promotions, taxes, fees, schedules, itineraries, and Supplier terms are subject to change at any time until payment is made in full and the booking is confirmed by the applicable Supplier, unless otherwise stated in writing by that Supplier.

Ben's Travel cannot hold, reserve, lock, or guarantee any price, rate, promotion, availability, room category, cabin category, flight, itinerary, or travel service because we are not the Supplier. Any quote provided is for informational purposes only and may change before booking.

Final Sales, Cancellations, and Refunds

Unless otherwise stated in writing by Ben's Travel or the applicable Supplier, consulting services and travel purchases are final, non-refundable, and non-cancelable for any reason, except as required by applicable law.

Any changes, cancellations, refunds, credits, chargebacks, or rebookings are subject to the applicable Supplier's policies and applicable law. Ben's Travel cannot guarantee that any Supplier will allow changes, issue refunds, provide credits, waive penalties, or make exceptions.

Credit Card Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

If you believe there is an error or issue with a charge made by Ben's Travel, you agree to contact us first so we may review and attempt to resolve the matter promptly.

Because payments made directly to Ben's Travel are for consulting services only, you agree not to initiate a chargeback or payment dispute for a valid, authorized, and disclosed consulting fee solely because you changed your mind, canceled travel, did not book travel, were unable to travel, or were dissatisfied with a Supplier's rules, services, cancellation policy, or refund decision.

If a chargeback or payment dispute is initiated, you authorize Ben's Travel to provide the payment processor, card issuer, bank, or dispute-resolution provider with relevant documentation, including invoices, confirmations, accepted terms, communications, scheduling records, and proof of services provided or scheduled.

If a chargeback is resolved in favor of Ben's Travel, you remain responsible for the original consulting fee and any chargeback fees, payment processor fees, collection costs, or administrative costs incurred by Ben's Travel, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Nothing in these Terms limits any rights you may have under applicable law to dispute unauthorized charges, billing errors, fraud, or other legally protected payment disputes.

Travel Insurance Strongly Recommended

Ben's Travel strongly recommends that every traveler purchase comprehensive travel insurance, including medical coverage, emergency evacuation coverage, trip cancellation coverage, trip interruption coverage, delay coverage, baggage coverage, and, where desired, "cancel for any reason" coverage.

Travel insurance is the traveler's responsibility. You are responsible for reviewing policy terms, exclusions, limits, deadlines, and claim requirements. Ben's Travel does not guarantee that any policy will cover a particular event, loss, cancellation, illness, injury, delay, or expense.

Supplier Responsibility

Ben's Travel is not responsible for the acts, errors, omissions, representations, warranties, breaches, negligence, delays, failures, financial default, bankruptcy, schedule changes, cancellations, overbookings, service changes, or misconduct of any Supplier.

This includes airlines, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, tour operators, transportation companies, guides, excursion providers, restaurants, rental companies, insurance companies, and destination management companies.

Weather, Force Majeure, and Events Beyond Control

Ben's Travel is not responsible for weather, natural disasters, acts of God, pandemics, epidemics, illness outbreaks, government actions, travel restrictions, border closures, war, terrorism, civil unrest, strikes, labor disputes, mechanical failures, Supplier insolvency, schedule changes, delays, cancellations, or any other event beyond our reasonable control.

Such events may result in additional costs, delays, lost vacation time, denied boarding, quarantine, cancellation, or inability to travel. Any available remedy is determined by the applicable Supplier, insurance policy, and applicable law.

Assumption of Travel Risks

Travel involves inherent risks, including sickness, injury, death, theft, crime, property loss, delays, accidents, transportation hazards, weather events, political instability, inadequate medical care, infectious disease exposure, and other known or unknown risks.

By booking travel or using our services, you acknowledge and voluntarily accept these risks. You are responsible for evaluating your personal health, safety, documentation, destination conditions, and ability to travel.

Traveler Responsibilities

You are responsible for verifying all names, dates, destinations, passport information, visa requirements, entry requirements, vaccination requirements, travel restrictions, airline schedules, baggage rules, and Supplier terms before travel.

You are also responsible for obtaining and carrying valid identification, passports, visas, permits, health documents, and any other required travel documents. Ben's Travel is not responsible for denied boarding, denied entry, deportation, quarantine, fines, penalties, or losses caused by missing, invalid, incorrect, or insufficient documentation.

Privacy Policy

The Ben's Travel Privacy Policy is available at benstravel.com/privacy. The Privacy Policy explains how Ben's Travel may collect, use, store, and share information provided by you in connection with our consulting and travel coordination services.

By using our services, you acknowledge that you have had an opportunity to review the Privacy Policy.

Governing Law and Venue

These Terms, our services, and any dispute arising out of or related to your relationship with Ben's Travel are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Subject to the arbitration agreement below, Galveston County, Texas shall be the venue of choice for any court proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms, our services, or your relationship with Ben's Travel.

Arbitration Agreement and Class Action Waiver

To the fullest extent permitted by law, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, Ben's Travel's services, payments, communications, or the relationship between you and Ben's Travel shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration rather than in court.

The arbitration shall be administered by the American Arbitration Association under its applicable Consumer Arbitration Rules, unless the parties agree in writing to a different arbitration provider. The arbitration shall take place in Galveston County, Texas, unless applicable law or arbitration rules require a different location. The arbitration may be conducted by telephone, video conference, written submissions, or another method permitted by the arbitration rules.

The Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation and enforcement of this arbitration agreement. The arbitrator may award any individual relief that would be available in court, subject to these Terms and applicable law. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

You and Ben's Travel agree that disputes shall be brought only on an individual basis. Neither party may bring claims as a plaintiff or class member in any class action, collective action, private attorney general action, consolidated action, or representative proceeding, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court if the claim qualifies. Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking temporary or emergency relief in court where necessary to protect rights or property pending arbitration.

Electronic Signatures and Electronic Acceptance

You agree that these Terms may be accepted electronically, including by clicking an acceptance box, signing electronically, typing your name, replying with written approval, making payment, scheduling services, or otherwise indicating agreement through electronic means.

Electronic signatures, electronic records, emails, confirmations, and electronically accepted documents shall have the same legal effect as original handwritten signatures and paper records, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Ben's Travel's total liability for any claim arising out of or related to our services is limited to the amount paid directly to and retained by Ben's Travel for the specific consulting service giving rise to the claim.

Ben's Travel is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or exemplary damages, including lost profits, lost vacation time, emotional distress, inconvenience, additional travel costs, missed events, or loss of enjoyment.

Acceptance

By requesting, approving, scheduling, paying for, electronically signing, or using Ben's Travel's services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms of Service.