Refunds & Cancellations

This policy explains how deposits, payments, transfers, and refunds work for Cinco Volcanes expedition bookings, and how returns work for gear and apparel purchases. It’s part of our Terms of Service — if anything here conflicts with the Terms, this policy controls for cancellations and refunds specifically.

1. Reservation Deposits

Booking an expedition requires a non-refundable reservation deposit (currently $200 per person unless a specific offer states otherwise). Your deposit secures your place, covers costs we commit to on your behalf (permits, guide holds, logistics), and is not refunded if you cancel.

Your deposit is transferable: you can apply it to a different Cinco Volcanes expedition date, or transfer your reservation to another eligible person, at no charge, as long as you notify us at least 60 days before your original departure date. Transfer requests made within 60 days of departure are handled case by case and may not be possible depending on availability.

2. Cancellations by You

If you cancel your reservation, refunds on amounts you’ve paid beyond the deposit follow this schedule, based on how far out you cancel:

When you cancel	Refund of balance paid (deposit is never refunded)
90+ days before departure	Full refund of the balance
60–89 days before departure	50% refund of the balance
30–59 days before departure	25% refund of the balance
Less than 30 days before departure	No refund

“Balance” means any amount you’ve paid beyond the initial reservation deposit. Refund percentages apply to that balance only — the deposit itself follows Section 1.

This schedule applies regardless of the reason for cancellation, including illness or injury — which is exactly what trip cancellation/interruption insurance (Section 6) is for.

3. Cancellations or Changes by Cinco Volcanes

If we cancel your expedition — for reasons like unsafe weather, insufficient group size, or guide/logistics issues on our end — you can choose either:

• A full refund of everything you’ve paid us for that expedition, or
• A credit of equal value toward a future Cinco Volcanes expedition

This does not cover costs you’ve paid independently, such as flights, gear, visas, or travel insurance premiums. We recommend booking refundable or flexible travel arrangements when possible, and see Section 6 on trip insurance.

Guide-directed changes to a route, itinerary, or summit attempt made during an expedition for safety or conditions (as described in our Liability Waiver) are not cancellations and are not refundable — reaching a summit is never guaranteed.

4. Force Majeure

If an expedition is disrupted or cancelled by events beyond our reasonable control — natural disasters, government travel restrictions, civil unrest, epidemic/pandemic conditions, or similar — we’ll offer the same choice as Section 3 (refund or credit) where we’re able to recover our own committed costs, but we can’t guarantee a full refund is possible in every case. We’ll communicate what’s available as soon as we know.

5. Transfers and Date Changes

Outside of a full cancellation, you can request to move your booking to a different date or transfer it to another person under the same terms as Section 1 (free 60+ days out, case-by-case within 60 days), subject to availability on the new date.

6. Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance

Our Liability Waiver already requires travel/medical/evacuation insurance for safety reasons. We strongly recommend you separately purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance — this is a different product that can reimburse you for non-refundable costs (including amounts not refunded under Section 2) if you have to cancel or cut a trip short for a covered reason, such as illness, injury, or a family emergency. This insurance is optional but is the most reliable way to protect your payments beyond what this policy refunds.

7. No-Shows and Late Arrivals

If you don’t show up for departure or arrive too late to join the expedition, no refund is available for any amount paid, and Section 2’s schedule does not apply.

8. Gear & Apparel Returns

For gear and apparel purchased through the Site (not expedition bookings):

• You may return unused, unworn items in their original condition and packaging within 30 days of delivery for a refund to your original payment method.
• You’re responsible for return shipping costs unless the item arrived defective or incorrect, in which case we cover it.
• Refunds are issued once we receive and inspect the returned item, typically within 5–10 business days.
• Final sale / clearance items are marked as such at checkout and are not eligible for return.

9. How Refunds Are Processed

Approved refunds are issued to your original payment method. Processing times depend on your bank or card issuer but typically take 5–10 business days after we process the refund on our end. Payment processing fees charged by our payment processor are non-refundable.

10. Contact Us

Questions about a booking, cancellation, or return? Contact us at:

Cinco Volcanes
Email: [email protected]