Terms and Conditions

1. Scope

1.1 These terms apply to every contract between you and us for our services, including private vehicle charters, Japanese-speaking assistants, airport transfers, multi-day services and corporate charters (the "Services").

1.2 If a service page or quotation states different terms, those specific terms take priority.

1.3 These terms are published in Japanese and English. If they differ, the Japanese version prevails.

2. What we provide

2.1 We provide, and are the contracting party for: a private vehicle with driver (including fuel, tolls, parking, Congestion Charge and ULEZ); a Japanese-speaking assistant; itinerary planning; and management of the journey on the day. We accept your booking ourselves and are responsible to you for providing the journey. We may sub-contract all or part of a journey to another operator or driver licensed by Transport for London (TfL); our contract with you and our responsibility to you remain in place.

2.2 Accommodation: we do not sell accommodation or hold money for it. For multi-day services we may suggest suitable hotels, typical prices and booking links. You book and pay for accommodation yourself, and that contract is between you and the hotel or booking site. We are not responsible for accommodation, and its own cancellation terms apply. Prices on our website do not include accommodation.

2.3 We do not fill in or submit hotel bookings for you, hold your account, password or payment details, pass your details to hotels, or receive any commission for accommodation.

2.4 Attraction tickets and optional services: at your request we may book tickets, restaurants or activities for you, at cost plus a 10% handling fee shown separately on the invoice. These are contracts between you and the provider, whose terms apply. Once booked they cannot be cancelled or refunded, including the handling fee. We may decline if the amount to be paid in advance is large.

3. Booking and contract

3.1 A provisional booking is a request to check availability. No contract exists at that stage.

3.2 The contract is made when we email you a Booking Confirmation stating the service, price and payment due date.

3.3 Before the service starts we send final details: itinerary, meeting place and time, and the emergency contact number for the day. Before each journey we also confirm the driver's first name, PHV licence number, the vehicle registration and, where possible, a photo of the driver.

3.4 We do not accept bookings from minors alone. Passengers under 18 must be accompanied by, or have written consent from, a parent or guardian.

4. Prices and payment

4.1 Prices are in pounds sterling (GBP) for services in the UK and in euros (EUR) for services in mainland Europe.

4.2 Payment is to Torabear Group Ltd by bank transfer (via Wise) or by credit/debit card (via Stripe).

4.3 Payment due dates: total under £1,000 – full payment within 7 days of the Booking Confirmation. Total £1,000 or more – 30% within 7 days, balance 31 days before the service starts. Bookings made less than 31 days before the service – full payment within 7 days, whatever the amount.

4.4 Bank charges are payable by you. If the amount received is short, you must pay the difference.

4.5 Exchange-rate gains and losses on payments made from other currencies are yours; we do not refund or charge currency differences.

4.6 If payment is not received by the due date, we may cancel the contract after giving notice, and the cancellation charges in Clause 6 apply.

5. What the price includes

6. Cancellation by you

6.1 Please cancel by email, LINE or WhatsApp message. The cancellation takes effect when we receive it (UK time). We cannot accept cancellation by telephone only. We will confirm your cancellation in writing.

6.2 Cancellation charges, counted from the service start date:

6.3 The day before the start date counts as "1 day before".

6.4 Peak periods: 20 December – 7 January, 27 April – 6 May, and 20 July – 31 August, based on the service start date.

6.5 Tickets and optional services booked for you under Clause 2.4 cannot be cancelled or refunded once booked. If a provider's actual cancellation charge exceeds our charge under 6.2, we will charge the difference. We will tell you the provider's cancellation terms before booking.

6.6 Accommodation is a direct contract between you and the hotel; you must cancel it yourself.

6.7 Unused days of a multi-day service after it has started are not refunded.

6.8 Refunds are made by the original payment method and currency within 10 working days. Transfer fees are payable by you.

7. Changes by you

7.1 Please tell us promptly if you wish to change the number of passengers, dates or itinerary. We will try to help but cannot guarantee changes.

7.2 If a different vehicle class is needed, the price difference applies.

7.3 A reduction in passengers or a change of date may be treated as a cancellation under Clause 6.

8. Cancellation or changes by us

8.1 We may cancel the contract or change the itinerary if: a minimum number of passengers is not reached (where stated; we will tell you at least 13 days before); severe weather, road closures, accidents, strikes, terrorism, epidemics, official orders or other events beyond our control make the journey unsafe or impracticable; a vehicle breakdown, sudden illness of the driver or similar cause not due to our fault prevents the journey; or you behave as described in Clause 10.2.

8.2 If we cancel under 8.1 (except for the last reason), we refund all money you have paid. We are not liable for further losses such as flights, hotel cancellation fees or loss of enjoyment.

8.3 Attractions closing unexpectedly, royal events, road closures or traffic may require us to change the order or content of visits. We will try to suggest alternatives but cannot refund for places not visited.

9. On the day

9.1 If you are late, the waiting time counts as part of the service time and the end time is not extended.

9.2 Extra time requested by you is charged per 30 minutes (any part of 30 minutes counts as 30 minutes): sedan £40, people carrier £50, executive vehicle from £75. Extra-time charges are payable to Torabear Group Ltd; the driver may collect them on our behalf. Extra time may not be possible because of driver working-hour limits or other bookings.

9.3 Luggage: one suitcase and one item of hand luggage per person. Please tell us in advance about extra or special items (folding wheelchairs, bicycles, golf bags, musical instruments). We are not responsible if items notified late cannot be carried.

9.4 Child seats are required by law for eligible children. We provide them free of charge if you tell us when booking.

9.5 Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not allowed in our vehicles. Please do not soil the vehicle or behave in a way that affects safe driving.

9.6 Airport pick-ups: please give us your flight number. We track arrival times and meet you at the actual arrival time; there is no charge for waiting caused by flight delays. Free waiting after landing is 60 minutes; after that, the extra-time rates in 9.2 apply. Lost-luggage procedures take place before customs and our staff cannot enter; please follow the airline's instructions and tell our emergency contact how long you expect to be.

10. Your responsibilities

10.1 You must pay for any damage you cause intentionally or negligently to us or others, including soiling or damage to the vehicle.

10.2 We may refuse or stop the service without refund if a passenger is excessively drunk or under the influence of drugs; is violent, abusive or harassing towards the driver, assistant or other passengers; or acts unlawfully or in a way we consider unsafe.

10.3 You are responsible for passports, visas (ETA, ETIAS) and other travel documents. If you cannot use the service because of missing documents, it counts as a same-day cancellation under Clause 6.

11. Travel insurance

11.1 We strongly recommend travel insurance covering injury, illness, rescue costs, belongings and cancellation.

11.2 Our vehicles carry the motor insurance required by law, which does not fully cover your injuries, belongings or itinerary changes.

12. Our liability

12.1 We will compensate you for loss caused by our intentional act or negligence.

12.2 We are not liable for loss caused by: natural disasters, severe weather, war, terrorism, riots, strikes, epidemics or official orders; traffic congestion, roadworks, road closures or accidents; accommodation matters (Clause 2.2); your own act, negligence, unlawful conduct or missing travel documents; or loss, theft or damage of your belongings (unless caused by our intentional act or gross negligence).

12.3 Nothing in these terms limits our liability where it cannot be limited by law, including under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, or for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.

13. Personal data

We use your personal data to provide the Services and to contact you in an emergency, in line with UK GDPR. Torabear Group Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ZB965227). See our Privacy Policy for details.

14. Complaints

14.1 Please tell the driver, assistant or our emergency contact straight away if something is wrong during the service, so we can put it right.

14.2 After the service, please email complaints to contact@torabear.com within 30 days. We will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours and reply in full within 14 days. If you are not satisfied with our response about a journey in London, you may contact Transport for London (TfL) Taxi and Private Hire.

15. Governing law

15.1 These terms and the contract are governed by the law of England and Wales.

15.2 The courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction.

15.3 If you are a consumer living in Japan, mandatory consumer protection laws of Japan may also apply. Nothing in this clause limits your legal rights as a consumer.

16. Changes to these terms

We may change these terms by publishing the new version on our website. Bookings already confirmed remain under the terms in force when the contract was made.

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