ACL Travel S.r.l. Società Benefit, trading as HeyLocals
Version 1.0 · Adopted 24 April 2026 · Next review 24 April 2027
Organisation: ACL Travel S.r.l. Società Benefit, trading as HeyLocals
Italian registered office: Piazza Durante 24, 20131 Milano (MI), Italy
UK correspondence office: WeWork, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC2B 6NH, United Kingdom
Website: heylocals.co.uk
Tax ID / VAT: 14264160962 · REA: MI-2770291 · PEC: [email protected]
Approved by: Giovanni Sala, Amministratore / Legale Rappresentante
Related documents:Privacy Policy; Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy; Responsible Volunteering Statement; DBS Check Policy; Standard Information Form (provided at booking).
These Terms and Conditions of Booking (the “Terms”) govern the contract between you (the “Customer” or “Participant”) and ACL Travel S.r.l. Società Benefit, trading as HeyLocals (“HeyLocals”, “we”, “us”, “our”), in respect of any volunteer-travel package or related services purchased through our website heylocals.co.uk or through any other channel we operate.
These Terms are designed to comply with:
Please read these Terms carefully before you book. By making a booking with us, you confirm that you have read, understood and accept these Terms on behalf of yourself and every member of your booking party. If you do not accept these Terms, you should not proceed with a booking.
Nothing in these Terms restricts your statutory rights as a consumer. Where any clause of these Terms conflicts with a mandatory statutory protection that applies to you as a UK consumer, the statutory protection prevails.
We are ACL Travel S.r.l. Società Benefit, an Italian company (società a responsabilità limitata) registered in Milan, Italy, under Codice Fiscale / Partita IVA 14264160962 and REA MI-2770291, with registered office at Piazza Durante 24, 20131 Milano. We trade in the UK market under the brand name “HeyLocals” through our website heylocals.co.uk and our UK correspondence office at WeWork, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC2B 6NH.
We are a Società Benefit under Italian Legge 208/2015 — a legal status that requires us to pursue defined social-impact purposes alongside profit, and to publish an annual relazione d’impatto on our performance against those purposes.
We are a travel organiser within the meaning of the PTRs 2018 and the Italian Codice del Turismo. We organise and sell pre-arranged combinations of travel services (volunteer placements, accommodation, in-country coordination, transfers and other services) as packages.
The administrators (amministratori and legali rappresentanti) of the company are Andrea Tonetti and Giovanni Sala.
In these Terms:
Before you place a Booking, we will provide you, in clear and prominent form, with:
These details are presented to you in the Standard Information Form required by the PTRs 2018, which is provided to you before you place your Booking.
You may place a Booking through our website heylocals.co.uk, by email to [email protected], or through any other booking channel we operate at the time. To place a Booking, you must:
Your Booking is a request from you to enter into a contract with us. The contract is formed only when we issue you a written Booking Confirmation. We reserve the right to decline any Booking, in our reasonable discretion, including where:
If we decline a Booking, any money paid by you will be refunded in full without deduction within 14 days.
The person making the Booking (“lead booker”) is responsible for:
The Total Price of your Package is set out in your Booking Confirmation. It includes everything described as “included” in your destination-specific information at the time of Booking, and excludes everything described as “not included” (typically: international flights, travel insurance, visas and entry fees, vaccinations, criminal-records-check costs, personal expenses, tips, items of a personal nature).
You pay a non-refundable deposit (the amount of which is set out in your booking flow and Booking Confirmation, typically 20–30% of the Total Price) at the time of Booking. The balance of the Total Price is payable not later than the number of days before the departure date specified in your Booking Confirmation (typically 60 days).
If you book within the balance-payment window, the full Total Price is payable at the time of Booking.
If you fail to pay the balance by the due date, we will be entitled (without further notice) to treat your Booking as cancelled by you with effect from the due date, and the cancellation charges in Clause 11 will apply.
The Total Price set out in your Booking Confirmation will not be increased except in the limited circumstances permitted by Regulation 10 PTRs 2018 (changes in the price of fuel, taxes or fees imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the Package, or exchange rates), and in any event:
If the price increase exceeds 8% of the Total Price, you are entitled (under Reg 11(2) PTRs 2018) to terminate the contract without cancellation charge and to a full refund within 14 days, or to accept a substitute Package of equivalent or higher quality at no additional cost (where we can offer one).
If a Total Price is displayed on the website or quoted to you that is obviously incorrect (for example, a clear typographical error), we reserve the right to cancel the Booking and refund any money paid, without further liability. We will tell you promptly if this applies.
Unless your Booking Confirmation says otherwise, your Package typically includes:
Your Package does not include:
If you are uncertain what is and is not included for your specific Package, ask us before you book.
The PTRs 2018 require us, as an organiser of packages sold to UK consumers, to provide effective insolvency protection: that is, security covering the refund of payments made by you, and (where transport is included) your repatriation, in the event that we become insolvent before or during the performance of your Package.
We comply with this requirement through the insolvency protection scheme set out in your Booking Confirmation. Details of the scheme, including the contact details of the protection provider and how to claim in the event of our insolvency, are set out in the Standard Information Form provided to you at Booking and are confirmed in your Booking Confirmation.
In the event that you need to claim against the insolvency protection, you should follow the procedure provided by the relevant scheme, the details of which we will give you in your Booking Confirmation and on request.
We also hold the insolvency protection required under Italian law (Codice del Turismo, Art. 47) for our Italian-market sales, the details of which are available on request.
If, after your Booking is confirmed, you wish to make a minor change (for example, correcting a name spelling, adjusting a flight-arrival time previously notified to us, changing a non-critical preference), we will use reasonable efforts to accommodate the change without charge. We cannot guarantee that every requested change is possible.
If you wish to make a major change after your Booking is confirmed (for example, changing departure date, changing project or destination), we will:
If a major change cannot be accommodated, you can choose either to proceed on your original Booking or to cancel under Clause 11.
Under Regulation 10 PTRs 2018, you have the right to transfer your Booking to another person who satisfies all the conditions applicable to the Package, provided you give us notice on a durable medium not later than 7 days before the start of the Package.
In that case, you and the transferee are jointly and severally liable for the balance of the Total Price and for any reasonable additional fees, charges or costs arising from the transfer (typically administrative cost of £50 plus any third-party transfer cost passed through to us, such as airline name-change fees on flights you have booked separately). We will provide proof of the additional costs on request.
The transferee must satisfy our standard eligibility checks (see Clause 14), including criminal-records screening, before the transfer is confirmed. The Package cannot be transferred to a person whom we, in our reasonable judgement, are unable to accept on safeguarding grounds.
You may cancel your Booking at any time before the start of the Package. The amount of the cancellation charge depends on when you cancel.
We give you the following standard cancellation-charge schedule. Specific projects may have different schedules where partner cost structures require it; in that case, the schedule applicable to your Booking is set out in your Booking Confirmation and the Standard Information Form.
| Time of cancellation (calendar days before departure) | Cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| More than 60 days | Loss of deposit only |
| 60 to 31 days | 50% of Total Price |
| 30 to 15 days | 75% of Total Price |
| 14 to 1 days | 90% of Total Price |
| On or after departure / no-show | 100% of Total Price |
Cancellation charges reflect the genuine pre-estimate of our loss and our partners’ irrecoverable costs. They are not punitive.
Under Regulation 12(7) PTRs 2018, you have the right to terminate the Booking before the start of the Package without paying any cancellation charge in the event of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occurring at the destination or its immediate vicinity which significantly affect the performance of the Package or the carriage of passengers to the destination. Our assessment of whether such circumstances apply will give significant weight to UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice “advising against all travel” or “advising against all but essential travel” to the destination.
In that case, you are entitled to a full refund of all payments made, but not to any additional compensation. Refunds are paid within 14 days.
To cancel, you must notify us in writing by email to [email protected]. Cancellation takes effect on the day we receive your written notice (or, if outside Working Days, on the next Working Day).
Where a refund is due to you, we will pay it to the original payment method within 14 days of the date of cancellation.
We may make insignificant changes to your Package (small changes to the daily schedule, accommodation room within the same property, minor activity substitutions of equivalent character) at any time. We will notify you of any change as soon as reasonably possible. No compensation is payable for insignificant changes.
If, before the start of the Package, we are constrained to make a significant change to the main characteristics of the Package — for example, a substantial change in destination, dates, accommodation category, or in the activities included — we will notify you on a durable medium without delay and offer you the choice (under Reg 11 PTRs 2018) of:
You must tell us your choice within a reasonable period specified in our notice. If you do not respond, you will be treated as having terminated the contract.
If you terminate, you are entitled to a full refund within 14 days, plus, where appropriate, additional compensation under Reg 11 PTRs 2018.
Compensation for our changes is payable in line with Regulation 16 PTRs 2018, except where the change or cancellation is due to:
We may cancel your Booking at any time before the start of the Package if:
Where we cancel, you are entitled to a full refund within 14 days, save where we cancel for your fault under the third or fourth bullet above, in which case the cancellation charges in Clause 10 apply.
We may also terminate your participation after the start of the Package, without refund, if your conduct on the placement (including breach of the Code of Conduct in our Safeguarding Policy) makes your continued participation incompatible with the safety of children, partners, other Participants or the integrity of the project (see Clause 16).
Travel insurance is compulsory for every Participant on every HeyLocals Package. Without exception.
You must hold, before departure, a travel-insurance policy that covers, as a minimum:
We will request proof of insurance before departure. Failure to produce satisfactory proof of insurance will entitle us to refuse to proceed with the Package, treated as a cancellation by you with the cancellation charges in Clause 10 applying.
Travel insurance is not included in the Total Price and is not arranged by us. We do not act as an insurance intermediary.
Because many of our Packages involve contact with children or adults at risk, every Participant must complete safeguarding screening before departure, in accordance with our DBS Check Policy and Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.
This includes, depending on your country of residence and the nature of your placement:
Your Booking is conditional on satisfactory completion of these requirements before departure. If you fail or refuse to complete them, or if the screening discloses information that we, in our reasonable judgement on safeguarding grounds, decide is incompatible with the placement, we will be entitled to cancel your Booking under Clause 12, with the cancellation charges in Clause 10 applying.
You confirm, at the time of Booking, that you are physically and mentally fit to undertake the activities of your chosen Package, and that you have disclosed to us at Booking any health condition, disability, allergy, mental-health condition or other circumstance that might affect your participation, the safety of others, or the support we need to provide.
If a condition arises or worsens between Booking and departure, you must tell us as soon as possible. We will assess in good faith whether reasonable adjustments can be made. Where they cannot, we may need to cancel under Clause 12 (without compensation, but with refund subject to applicable cancellation charges).
You are responsible for arranging the vaccinations recommended by your healthcare provider, and for obtaining the visas, permits and entry documents required for your travel. We provide general guidance, but cannot be responsible for the consequences of your failing to obtain the right documents.
We monitor UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice for the destinations we operate in. You should familiarise yourself with the relevant FCDO advice for your destination before booking and again before travel: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
Under Regulation 15 PTRs 2018 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015, we are responsible for the proper performance of the travel services included in your Package, regardless of whether those services are performed by us or by Partners or other suppliers.
If a travel service is not performed in accordance with the contract, you must inform us without undue delay, taking into account the circumstances. We will then have a reasonable opportunity to remedy the lack of conformity, where this is possible at no disproportionate cost.
If we do not remedy the lack of conformity within a reasonable period, or refuse to remedy it, you may do so yourself and claim necessary expenses from us, save where we have a defence under Reg 15 PTRs 2018.
You are entitled, where appropriate, to a price reduction and/or compensation for damages for any lack of conformity, in accordance with Reg 16 PTRs 2018.
To the extent permitted by law:
We are not liable for losses that, at the time the contract was concluded, were not foreseeable to either party, or for losses unrelated to the proper performance of the Package.
Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for:
In line with Regulation 17 PTRs 2018, we will provide appropriate assistance without undue delay to any Participant in difficulty, including:
We are entitled to charge a reasonable fee for this assistance if the difficulty was caused intentionally or negligently by you.
You agree to:
We reserve the right (acting reasonably) to require any Participant to leave a placement, with no refund, if their conduct presents a safeguarding risk, breaches the Code of Conduct in a serious way, or otherwise materially breaches these Terms. In that case, no liability for further losses (including return-flight costs, accommodation, personal expenses) is accepted by us.
We hope that you have no cause to complain, but if you do, we want to know promptly so that we can put it right.
You should raise any complaint with the in-country coordinator or partner staff at the time the issue arises, so that they have an opportunity to remedy it. If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved at the time, contact our 24/7 emergency line (provided in your Pre-Departure Pack) or email [email protected].
If you wish to make a formal complaint after returning home, please write to us within 28 days of your return:
We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 Working Days and provide a substantive response within 28 calendar days.
Failure to raise an issue at the time may, depending on the circumstances, affect any compensation that might otherwise be payable.
If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you may have the right to refer the dispute to an alternative dispute resolution body. Where applicable, the relevant ADR provider is set out in your Booking Confirmation.
Under the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform (which the UK no longer participates in following Brexit, but which remains available to consumers in EU/EEA member states), residents of EU/EEA member states may also have access to the ODR platform at https://ec.europa.eu/odr.
Use of an ADR procedure does not affect your right to take legal action through the courts.
Any safeguarding concern should not go through the ordinary complaints procedure, but should be raised in line with our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy: by email to [email protected], or by phone using the 24/7 line in your Pre-Departure Pack.
Volunteer travel is by its nature different from a leisure holiday. By Booking, you acknowledge and accept that:
This is not a disclaimer of our duty of care. It is a clear statement of the kind of travel you are buying. Our Responsible Volunteering Statement sets out our broader thinking on this, which you should read alongside these Terms.
In these Terms, “Force Majeure” means any unavoidable and extraordinary circumstance — beyond either party’s reasonable control — the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Force Majeure includes, without limitation: war, threat of war, civil unrest, terrorist activity, riots, industrial action, natural disaster, pandemic, epidemic, public-health emergency, fire, technical problems with transport, governmental action, port or airport closure, severe weather conditions, and any other significant event that materially affects the travel services or the safety of Participants.
Where Force Majeure prevents or significantly affects performance of the Package:
If Force Majeure occurs after the start of the Package, we will use reasonable efforts to provide alternative arrangements at no extra cost (where possible) and to repatriate you to your point of departure (where transport was included in your Package). Reasonable additional accommodation costs may be payable by us where required by Reg 18 PTRs 2018.
We process personal data about you in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which sets out what data we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, how it is stored and how long it is retained, and your rights under UK GDPR and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). The Privacy Policy is available at heylocals.co.uk/privacy-policy.
By placing a Booking, you confirm that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy.
All content on heylocals.co.uk (including text, photographs, video, design and logos) is owned by us or our licensors and protected by copyright, trade mark and other intellectual-property laws. You may view, download and print content from heylocals.co.uk for personal, non-commercial use only. Any other use requires our prior written consent.
These Terms, and any contract between us, are governed by Italian law, save that — under Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 (Rome I), as retained in UK law — your choice of governing law cannot deprive you, as a UK consumer habitually resident in the UK at the time of Booking, of the protection of mandatory provisions of UK consumer law that would have applied in the absence of this choice. The PTRs 2018 are mandatory consumer-protection rules within the meaning of Rome I Article 6 and apply to your Booking accordingly.
The courts of Milan, Italy, will have non-exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or any contract between us. Nothing in this clause limits your statutory right, as a consumer habitually resident in the UK, to bring proceedings in the courts of the part of the UK in which you are resident.
We may revise these Terms from time to time. The version of the Terms that applies to your Booking is the one in force at the time you placed your Booking. Subsequent revisions will apply to new Bookings.
If any clause of these Terms is found by a court or other competent authority to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that clause is severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remainder of these Terms continues in force.
These Terms, together with your Booking Confirmation, the Standard Information Form, and the documents referred to in them (Privacy Policy, Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, DBS Check Policy, Responsible Volunteering Statement), constitute the entire agreement between us in relation to your Booking.
End of Terms.
These Terms were adopted by the administrators of ACL Travel S.r.l. Società Benefit on 24 April 2026 and will be reviewed no later than 24 April 2027. Questions about these Terms can be directed to [email protected].