Ohio Charter Bus Service
S&S Coach Co.
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Ohio Charter Bus ServiceS&S Coach Co. |
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Frequently Asked QuestionsQ: When do I need to book?A: As soon as possible. Although we provide availability when we give the quote, we book on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is a possibility we would be booked even a short time later. There are some dates that fill up as much as six months in advance. Q: How do I book a bus? A: Give us a call or contact us by fax or email. We will ask for billing and contact information, along with pickup address, departure time, destinations, and return time. We will send you a contract with the details of your trip. You will need to sign and return the contract and a 20% deposit as soon as possible to confirm your trip. (See payment terms for details.) Should you be unable to provide the full deposit, please contact our office to speak with our treasurer to make special payment arrangements. For trips booked within 30 days of departure, the signed contract must be returned promptly, usually by fax. Full payment is due 10 days prior to departure. Q: What happens if I forget to return my signed contract? A: Buses cannot be held indefinitely without a signed contract. We will try to contact you, the booking party; however, if we do not hear from you, your trip may be cancelled. Q: What if I need to change my trip? A: We ask that any changes be made at least 10 days prior to the departure date. After this deadline, drivers have received their orders, bus dispatch and maintenance has been scheduled and changes may be impossible to accommodate. Q: What is the fuel surcharge? A: Any trip booked after March 14, 2008 has an estimated fuel-surcharge included. On-highway diesel fuel retail prices, which averaged $2.46 in 2009; $2.99 in 2010; and $3.84 in 2011, are projected to average $3.79 in 2012 (prices do not include fuel taxes, US Department of Energy Nov. 18, 2011.) With taxes, the US Department of Energy projects on-highway diesel to average just below $4.00 per gallon through the end of 2011. We have taken this prediction into consideration for our 2011 & 2012 quotes. However, we cannot eliminate the possibility of a fuel surcharge should these predictions prove to be inaccurate. We are sorry for any inconvenience. Should you have any questions concerning this situation, please contact Earl. UPDATE: All quotes include an estimated fuel-surcharge to guarantee your price would not increase provided the per gallon cost of on-highway diesel fuel would not exceed $4.00 a gallon with taxes. We know it can be difficult for group leaders to go back to their passengers and ask for an additional few dollars to cover the fuel-surcharge so we try to estimate based on projections to minimize the inconvenience caused by volatile fuel costs. However should fuel remain unstable and increase beyond $4.00 per gallon, trips will have an additional fuel-surcharge added to the final invoice. We sincerely regret any inconveniences this may cause. Q: Why do you need an itinerary? A: An itinerary provides your driver with an outline of what you will need him/ her to do. It should include all important where's and when's. Include street addresses so that your driver can get directions if he/ she has never been there before. In addition, when you provide an itinerary at least two weeks prior to the trip we can review it to insure your trip goes off smoothly as planned. For instance, you may need to allow more time to get to your destination or your itinerary may violate the Federal Hours of Service Regulations making it impossible for your driver to accommodate your schedule. Such problems can often be solved by minor adjustment to insure your trip goes off smoothly as planned. Q: What are your payment terms? A: A deposit of 20% of the total charges is due at time of booking. Full payment is due 10 days prior to departure. Credit Cards are processed by PayPal on their website for security of your personal and credit information. To pay by first party credit card (Visa, Master Card, Discover, or American Express), call to request an email invoice. There is a 4% service fee for the email invoicing service. Sorry, third party credit cards cannot be processed for security purposes. No credit card refunds can be issued more than 60 days after payment has been made so we recommend making your deposit payment by check. If a refund is issued more than 60 days after payment has been made, the refund will be issued by check minus the email invoicing service fee and any other prepaid expenses. Sorry, credit cards cannot be processed via phone or fax. Q: Will S&S Coach cancel my trip? A: Generally, we do not cancel trips. When one of the following situations occurs, we will try to contact you, the booking party; however, if we do not hear from you, your trip may be cancelled. Situations in which S&S Coach may cancel a trip: 1. Group fails to make payments by the due date. 2. Group’s final itinerary is found to violate Federal, State, or Local law and the group refuses to revise itinerary to comply. 3. Group’s final itinerary is in excess of the miles/ hours originally contracted for and group refuses to pay the additional charges necessary to complete the itinerary. 4. Emergency Status prohibits use of roadways necessary to fulfill the contract. 5. Other reasons where permitted or necessitated by law. Q: What if we have inclement weather and decide not to go? A: S&S Coach will not cancel a trip for weather except in cases where it is illegal to be on the highway. This occurs very rarely and normally requires blizzard conditions. For example, a level 3 snow emergency in Richland County, the departure county, the destination county or any county through which we must travel. You may choose to cancel or postpone your trip for inclement weather. Example: school is cancelled or the corporation closes for weather but a level 3 snow emergency has not been issued. If you have concerns you may need to cancel for inclement weather, please call during office hours to find out what time you would need to cancel by to avoid a 100% charge. You can cancel for inclement weather 24 hours a day by calling our emergency line: 800-544-5714. Remember in some cases, you may reschedule/postpone the trip for weather and avoid the cancellation fee. Q: What if I need to cancel? A: Give us a call and we will mail confirmation of your cancellation. Cancellations at least 31 days prior to departure date have no cancellation fee. Cancellations any time 30 days or fewer prior to departure, have a cancellation fee. Trips may be changed or postponed depending on availability. Any trip postponed within the 30 days may incur the cancellation fee if cancelled anytime thereafter. Q: What is the cancellation fee if I cancel less than 31 days prior to my departure date? A: If cancelled 30 days – 21 days prior to departure, you will forfeit half your deposit (10% of the total charges). If cancelled 20 days – 10 days prior to departure, you will forfeit your deposit (20% of the total charges). If canceled 9 days – 1 day prior to departure, you will forfeit 50% of the total charges. Trips cancelled within 24 hours prior to departure will forfeit 100% of the total trip charges. Q: What if I choose to postpone my trip? A: Trips may be postponed based on availability. Trips postponed due extreme weather, such as a blizzard closing the highways necessary to complete the trip, will not incur a rescheduling fee, though pre-paid expenses may be incured. Trips postponed or rescheduled at least two weeks (fourteen calendar days) prior to the driver's scheduled start time/date will not carry a rescheduling fee; however, any pre-paid expenses, such as permits or non-refundable driver hotel reservations, shall be incurred. Trips postponed less than two weeks (fourteen calendar days) prior to the driver's scheduled start time/date may incur a rescheduling fee in addition to any pre-paid expenses. Q: What is the rescheduling fee if I postpone or reschedule less than 14 days prior to my departure date? A: When rescheduling for non-weather related reasons less than 14 days prior to departure, a minimum 10% rescheduling fee shall apply. When rescheduling for non-weather related reasons less than 7 days prior to departure, a minimum 20% rescheduling fee shall apply. All non-weather related rescheduling must be completed at least 24 hours prior to the driver's report for duty time. When postponed/rescheduled for weather less than 24 hours prior to the driver's report for duty time, a minimum rescheduling fee of $100 per bus per day shall apply. Any pre-paid, non-refundable expenses shall be billed in addition to rescheduling fees. Extreme weather, such as a blizzard closing the highways necessary to complete the trip, will not incur a rescheduling fee, though pre-paid expenses may be incured. In the rare case where the return home must be delayed due to highway closures as a result of extreme weather, S&S Coach shall not charge any additional daily fee, though other delay related expenses, such as driver hotel, may be incured. Q: Are there limits on luggage? A: Most bags which normally fit into airline overhead compartments will generally fit in our overhead compartments too. Checked bags (those bags and equipment traveling in the under floor luggage bays) must be limited to the size of the opening of the luggage bay door and weigh less than 75 pounds for your driver to lift safely by him/ herself. Bags, trunks and other equipment weighing in excess of 75 pounds cannot be safely lifted solely by your driver. Groups with any equipment weighing in excess of 75 pounds must be prepared to assist with lifting and loading their luggage at each stop where luggage access is needed. Equipment, such as risers, which are long or awkward, also will require group assistance in loading and unloading. Luggage may not be stored in the lavatory or in the isle under any conditions. Q: Are we allowed to smoke on the bus? A: The Ohio Public Smoking Ban law is targeted at restaurant and bars whose employees are regularly exposed to large amounts of second-hand smoke in their work environment. The law includes all private clubs and organizations, for-profit or non-profit, so long as they have one employee. Federal Passenger Carrier Regulations Part 374 has prohibitions against smoking on interstate passenger carrying motor vehicles since January 17, 1991; an exception is made in Subpart B Section 374.201 (c) which states “The provisions of paragraph (a) of this section shall not apply to charter operations as defined in 49 CFR 374.503 of this part,” which defines “The term ‘special or chartered party’’” as “a group of passengers who, with a common purpose and under a single contract, and at a fixed charge for the vehicle in accordance with the carrier’s tariff, have acquired the exclusive use of a passenger—carrying motor vehicle to travel together as a group to a specified destination or for a particular itinerary.” However, no exemption has been made on the state level. While no judge has reviewed the implications of the language in the new Ohio Public Smoking Ban will have for the charter Motorcoach industry, it is fair to say the work environment terminology will include the chartered Motorcoach as an Ohio Employee will be working within it. It is also fair to expect it to remain in effect once the Motorcoach has crossed state borders as the language extends to the employee’s work space more so than the specific location. Until a judgment has been passed exempting chartered motorcoaches from the ban, smoking will not be permitted on any motorcoach operated by S&S Coach. We will certainly follow this matter closely as it will affect many of our groups. Q: I've never paid sales tax on my trips before, why is it on my bill? A: Ohio now assesses sales-tax on intrastate travel (trips which occur entirely within the state of Ohio) on and after August 1, 2003. Groups currently exempt from sales tax (schools, churches, some fraternal and service organizations) shall continue to be so. Groups, which are not tax exempt, shall find the 6.75% Richland county sales tax added to their bill. Should you have any question as to whether you are tax exempt, please contact your accountant and/or the Ohio State Department of Taxation. To request a tax exemption form, please contact us. You need only file one form, as the tax exemption shall be considered a part of each order you place with us, until revoked, unless the order specifies otherwise. You need not file a form if you are not tax exempt. Q: A member of my group requires the assistance of a service animal. Do we need to make special arrangements? A: No special arrangement is required. A service animal must remain within the control of the person at all times, and must comply with local animal safety regulations. If the animal gets out of control or causes a major disturbance, the animal may be removed from the coach and turned over to the local animal control authorities if necessary. For example: howling, biting, running around. S & S Coach Company will not be held liable for any damages caused by a service animal. All damages caused by a service animal are the liability of the animal owner. A legitimate service animal will never require its own seat. Please call with any questions you may have,
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