Terms of Service

These terms apply when you use the Ink & Hearth website and when you book a retreat with us. Please read them before you book, as they form the contract between us.

1. About us

Ink & Hearth is a trading name of Lorenzen Tonna Services Limited, a company registered in Scotland (Company No. SC602737) with its registered office at 5 South Charlotte St, Edinburgh EH2 4AN. Our VAT number is GB314369214. You can contact us at info@inkandhearth.uk.

In these terms, "we", "us" and "our" mean Lorenzen Tonna Services Limited, and "you" means the person making the booking or using the website.

2. Your account

You need an account to book a retreat, and you must be 18 or over to make a booking. Please keep your details accurate and your password private. You are responsible for bookings made through your account.

3. Making a booking

Each retreat page describes what is included, the room types available and their prices. When you book, you are offering to buy a place on that retreat. A contract between us is formed when we email you a booking confirmation. If we cannot accept your booking, for example because the retreat has sold out, we will tell you and refund anything you have paid.

Each guest needs their own booking. Please check your booking details carefully and let us know straight away if anything is wrong.

4. Prices and payment

All prices are in pounds sterling and include VAT where applicable. Unless the retreat page says otherwise, prices include accommodation, meals and refreshments, the literary programme and scheduled activities. Travel to and from the venue, travel insurance and personal expenses are not included.

A deposit, shown on the retreat page, is payable when you book. You can then pay the balance in full at any time, or use the optional monthly payment plan shown on the retreat page. Either way, the full price must be paid before the retreat begins.

If a payment is missed, we will contact you. If it is still not paid within 7 days of our reminder, we may cancel your booking. In that case we will treat it as a cancellation by you under section 6.

Payments are processed securely by Stripe. We never see or store your full card details.

5. Your right to cancel

Retreats are leisure services provided on specific dates. This means the 14-day cancellation period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations does not apply. Instead, you can cancel at any time under our cancellation policy below.

6. Cancellation by you

To cancel, email info@inkandhearth.uk. Your cancellation takes effect on the day we receive your email. Refunds depend on how far ahead of the retreat's start date you cancel:

• More than 30 days before: full refund of everything you have paid.
• 14 to 30 days before: refund of 50% of the total price, less any payments still owing.
• Less than 14 days before, or if you do not attend: no refund.

We will pay refunds to the card you used, within 14 days of your cancellation. We strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance that covers cancellation.

7. Changing your booking

If you would like to move to a different retreat, please contact us as soon as you can. We will try to transfer your booking, subject to availability. You will pay or be refunded any difference in price. Changes made within 14 days of your original retreat may carry an administration fee, which we will tell you before you agree to the change.

8. Changes and cancellation by us

Our retreats are planned well in advance, but occasionally we may need to make changes. For example, a guest author may become unavailable or an activity may be affected by the weather. If so, we will replace it with something of similar standard wherever possible.

If we need to make a major change, such as to the dates or venue, or to cancel a retreat, we will tell you as soon as possible. You can then choose either a full refund of everything you have paid, or a transfer to another upcoming retreat at no extra cost. We are not responsible for travel or other costs you have arranged separately, so please consider insurance that covers these.

9. Your health, needs and conduct

Please tell us about any dietary requirements, allergies or accessibility needs when you book. Our venues are historic buildings, and accessibility varies between them. We will do our best to help, but we cannot guarantee every need can be met. Please contact us before booking if you have any concerns.

We ask all guests to treat other guests, our hosts, venue staff and the venues themselves with respect. We may ask a guest whose behaviour seriously disrupts a retreat or puts others at risk to leave, without a refund. You are responsible for any damage you cause to a venue.

10. Our responsibility to you

We will provide our services with reasonable care and skill, and as described on the retreat page. If we fail to do so, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our failure. We are not responsible for loss or damage that was not foreseeable, or for business losses.

Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit. Nothing in these terms affects your legal rights as a consumer.

We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events outside our reasonable control, such as severe weather, natural disasters or transport disruption. If such an event means a retreat cannot go ahead, section 8 applies.

11. Using our website

The text, photographs and design of this website belong to us or our licensors. You may view and print them for personal use, but please do not copy or reuse them for any other purpose without our permission.

We work to keep the website accurate and available, but we cannot guarantee that it will always be uninterrupted or error-free. If we notice a clear pricing error before we confirm your booking, we will contact you before going ahead.

12. Your personal information

Our Privacy Policy explains how we use your personal information.

13. Complaints

If something is not right, please tell us during the retreat so we can try to fix it there and then. Otherwise, email info@inkandhearth.uk within 28 days of your retreat ending, and we will reply within 14 days.

14. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Your booking is covered by the version of these terms that was in force when you made it.

15. Law and jurisdiction

These terms are governed by Scots law, and you can bring legal proceedings in the Scottish courts. If you live in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, you can also bring proceedings in your local courts under your local law.