General
"Aurora Labs", "Aurora Labs AS", "Aurora Labs Online", "we", "our", "us", all refer to Aurora Labs AS, a company registered in Norway with the organisation number 923670815.
By visiting our website, by interacting with our website (included, but not limited to: taking part in online surveys, sending us a message), by booking an activity with us, by creating an account on the Aurora Labs Online platform, by purchasing access to any course from Aurora Labs, by installing and using our apps, you accept and agree to the terms of this agreement. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions you must cease to continue.
Booking
The person making the booking must be at least 18 years old.
These terms and conditions apply to all the participants of a booking.
Pick up/Drop-off
You are normally picked up/dropped off at your accommodation in Varanger, unless stated otherwise either on the activity description or if previously agreed otherwise, in writing.
Starting time
The starting times presented on the activities' description pages are approximate and given as guide only. The exact starting time will be communicated to you personally, prior to the activity, and at least 24 hours in advance. However, the exact starting time will not differ greatly from the approximate time given as guide.
Activities very dependent on weather and/or auroral forecasts may suffer greater changes of starting time, and the exact starting time may be communicated to you less than 24 hours in advance, but not later than 3 hours in advance.
Activity duration
The duration of activities is approximate, and given as guide. This applies especially to flexible activities, such as hunting the Aurora, where it is impossible to actually foresee the total duration of the activity.
Activity prices
The shown prices are per person, and apply if you will be picked up and dropped off anywhere in Vadsø, Vestre Jakobselv or Ekkerøy or anywhere in-between these points. You can book activities if you're based outside of this area; however, there will be an extra fee for picking you up and dropping you off. The fee amount is mentioned on each activity price breakdown. To avoid extra transfer fees, you can join us in Vadsø with your own car. Where mentioned on the activity description, entrance fees to attractions and/or meals are also included.
All prices include VAT.
The prices and booking conditions on our website supersede those found on any of our other material, virtual or physical.
Activity prices may vary in time; however, once your activity is booked and paid for, you will not pay extra charges if the price increases, nor will you receive any difference if the price decreases.
Number of participants
For each group booking, there is a requirement of a minimum of 2 persons. If you are single and would like to book an activity anyway, you will need to pay the price for two persons, or book an activity as single.
There is a maximum of 7 persons per group activity (12 for workshops). An activity is normally shared with other people. It is, however, possible to book a private activity against a supplement, and thus to ensure that there will be just you and your group. Contact us for a quotation for this service.
Payment
The payment itself is regulated by the payment processor's Terms and Conditions and you are invited to check them out on their website.
Aurora Labs will not be responsible for any fees charged by your debit/credit card provider in connection with your payment to Aurora Labs.
Booking confirmation
Your booking will be confirmed once full payment has been made.
Make sure you verify carefully all messages and documents we send you, as soon as you receive them (including, but not limited to: invoice, receipts, booking confirmation) and notify us of any incorrect or incomplete information. We do not accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in these messages or documents we send you.
Booking modifications
Any modification to your booking must be made in writing (by e-mail), and is subject to availability and to personal confirmation by Aurora Labs. If necessary, the balance due must be paid before any modification will be confirmed.
Cancellations by Aurora Labs, guarantees and reimbursements
Aurora Labs reserves the right to cancel activities for reasons such as, but not limited to: roads closing, severe weather which makes it unsafe to drive or to be outside, or any other condition which may pose a security threat or put anyone's well-being in jeopardy.
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, and their physical occurrence cannot be guaranteed 100%. However, due to the placement of Varanger and Vadsø right in the middle of the Kp = 0 Auroral oval, the probability of its presence is at its maximum. Auroras, even if they're present, can be seen only if the skies are clear and if it is dark outside, thus, their sighting can't be guaranteed, especially with the very changing weather here in the North. They can, however, be heard, even if it's cloudy or light outside, with the condition of their actual occurrence.
Seeing the Northern Lights is not guaranteed, but it is maximized by the mobile and flexible nature of the adventure. The experienced guide at Aurora Labs will make his best to help you see the Lights, by taking into account his own experience as well as the short-term weather and auroral forecasts. Hearing the Aurora is not guaranteed, either, but, it is much easier to hear Auroras in any weather/light/season conditions.
There are no refunds if the Northern Lights are finally not seen or heard. But, this is part of the fun of Aurora hunting. Hunting the Northern Lights, even if you don't finally see (or hear) them, is one of the most beautiful experiences that you can have here in the Arctic!
Stargazing is very weather-dependent. If skies are mostly covered, the Aurora Labs guide will inform the tourists about this fact a few hours in advance, and the activity will be cancelled with a full refund. Again, no extra free activity is offered, but tourists are free to rebook another activity, following the normal booking process, based on the availabilities.
Sun spotting is also weather dependent. However, as observing the Sun is complimentary during the cloud spotting activities, there will be no cancellations or compensations in case of a complete cloud coverage or bad weather.
Please note that the telescope is fragile equipment and therefore cannot be used in bad weather conditions. This is why the telescope observation is complimentary when the weather permits.
In case of cancellations by Aurora Labs you will receive a full refund. No extra free activity is offered, but tourists are free to rebook another activity, following the normal booking process, based on the availabilities.
Cancellations by yourself
Once you book an activity, you may cancel it, but the following rules apply:
- if you cancel 7 days before the date of your activity, 3.5% of the total price will be deducted from the refund amount to cover the transfer costs, and the rest will be refunded to you;
- if you cancel less than 7 days in advance, or in case of no-show, there is no refund.
Tardiness and no-show
If one or more participants are 10 minutes late for the meeting with the guide, Aurora Labs reserves the right to terminate their booking, without any refund.
Weather conditions
Activities may suffer changes due to weather conditions, for your and the guide's safety, as well as for the preservation of scientific equipment. Aurora Labs reserves thus the right to carry out such changes without prior notice.
Clothing
Please make sure to wear warm and suitable clothes at all times, as the weather might become cold suddenly, especially during winter. Safety is of utmost importance to Aurora Labs, and we thus reserve the right to refuse participants who are dressed inappropriately, and who's safety may be in jeopardy. A guideline on clothing can be found on our website.
Special conditions
All participants are personally responsible for correctly assessing whether they are physically and mentally fit to take part in the booked activity, in order to respect the safety and well-being of the group.
All of our activities include either walking on uneven terrain, or the use of a vehicle unequipped with a ramp, which makes the activities unsuitable for people with reduced mobility.
Aurora Labs reserves the right to refuse participation to an activity of a participant (and/or the participant's whole group) who is considered not able to carry out that activity.
Behaviour
The participants always need to follow the guide's instructions. Aurora Labs reserves the right to exclude customers who fail to do this, without any reimbursements.
Unsociable behaviour (such as, but not limited to: violence, unacceptable language, harassment, drunkenness), or any behaviour that may cause danger is unacceptable, and Aurora Labs reserves the right to exclude such customers from the activities, without any refunds.
Communication
Before and after the activity, all communication between you and Aurora Labs is carried out by e-mail or via Facebook Messenger. Bookings may be made through the online form, by e-mail or Facebook Messenger. Please note that for logistical reasons we currently do not offer support by phone. You are thus asked to contact us in writing instead.
Language
All activities carried out at Aurora Labs are in English.
In the case of groups where all participants speak French, it may be possible to carry out the activity in French. To ensure you will carry out the activity in French, please choose to carry out the activity as private.
Insurance
You and your belongings are at all times solely at your own risk. You need to make sure that you possess a suitable personal insurance cover for the full duration of your activity. We do not check your insurance and cannot be liable for any injuries, losses or expenses incurred as a result of you not possessing a suitable insurance cover.
Liability
Aurora Labs will not be liable for any injuries, illnesses, death, losses of any kind, damages, extra costs, expenses, or any other claim, unless they are caused wilfully and by great negligence directly by us.
If we are found liable to you, our total liability shall be limited to the sum you paid for the booked activity with us.
Any claims must be asserted within 30 days after the activity date, in writing and with detailed explanations. Claims received after this deadline will not be accepted anymore, except if proof of the impossibility of meeting this deadline.
If a customer has been negligent and damaged any of the Aurora Labs equipment, the costs for repairs or replacement will be charged to that customer.
If an activity is modified or even cancelled due to one or more of the participants, the participant(s) concerned can be held financially liable for any additional costs incurred.
Photographic consent
During activities we may take photographs or videos, which may feature our customers. These pictures or videos may be used in marketing materials (online, social networks, offline) and stored digitally and physically. If you do not wish to be photographed or filmed, please inform the guides during your activity.
Intellectual property
At all times Aurora Labs and Sergiu Curelea (the CEO of Aurora Labs) remain the owners of the intellectual property in the Aurora Labs website and activities.
No information may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Aurora Labs or Sergiu Curelea.
You may not modify, change, copy, reproduce, re-publish, sub-licence, sell, upload, broadcast, present, show, post, transmit, make available, disseminate or distribute in any way the information on Aurora Labs, without the prior written permission of Aurora Labs or Sergiu Curelea. You may not create derivative works based on the whole or any part of the information you find on the Aurora Labs website, or by carrying out activity(es) with us.
Aurora Labs Online courses
The courses and workshops (referred to, generally, as "courses") are provided by Aurora Labs on the Aurora Labs Online platform, hosted by Thinkific.
To purchase access to an online course, you will need to first create an account on Aurora Labs Online, by providing all required information, and then to pay the amount specified. You have to ensure that the information you provide is complete and accurate.
Purchasing access to a course or workshop on Aurora Labs Online, means that you are granted a 45 days access to the course/workshop, in which to complete all the requirements to finish it. After this period of 45 days from your purchase, you lose access to the course/workshop. The access is granted for one person.
The payment for online courses on Aurora Labs Online is regulated by the payment processor's Terms and Conditions and you are invited to check them out on their website. Aurora Labs will not be responsible for any fees charged by your debit/credit card provider in connection with your purchase on Aurora Labs Online.
Once you purchase access to an online course, no reimbursement will be possible.
Behaviour on Aurora Labs Online
We have a zero tolerance policy concerning inappropriate behaviour of the courses' participants, which may include, but is not limited to: abusive or violent language, harassment, destructive behaviour. We do not tolerate spamming or advertising either. In the case of such behaviour, a participant's access to the discussions sections, to the course, or even to the platform, can be removed, without any reimbursements or prior notices.
Aurora Labs Online Courses Content
The online courses on Aurora Labs Online are provided "as is". They are not guaranteed to be error-free and the platform is also not guaranteed to be error-free. There might be downtime periods of the platform, which is out of our control and you accept that Aurora Labs cannot be held responsible if such events occur.
The course description or the presentation of a course in the free lessons do not form part of the contract between you and us. We will do our best to provide an online course as described.
We reserve the right to edit, change or even remove any of the courses, anytime, without prior notice.
Connecting to and using the Aurora Labs Online platform
You also accept that Aurora Labs will not be responsible if you cannot connect to or use the platform if you use an incompatible device, unappropriate software, a problematic internet connection/ISP.
Aurora Labs Online Warranties
We do not make any guarantees that you will obtain a particular result or qualification from your purchase and completion of any of the courses on our platform.
Aurora Labs Online Liability
Aurora Labs shall not be responsible or liable neither for any losses of any kind, nor for any injuries you may suffer when you use the knowledge you acquire from our online courses. The online courses on Aurora Labs Online are for training and educational purposes only, and it is you who is responsible for the way you use the information obtained from these courses.
Aurora Labs' total liability in connection with these Terms and Conditions and arising from anything we may have done or not done in connection with these Terms and Conditions shall be limited to the price of the access to the course(s) that you have purchased.
Aurora Labs Online Intellectual property
At all times Aurora Labs and Sergiu Curelea (the CEO of Aurora Labs) remain the owners of the intellectual property in the courses on Aurora Labs and Aurora Labs Online.
No course and not even part of a course may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Aurora Labs or Sergiu Curelea.
Once you purchase access to a course, you are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to access the course for the sole purpose of studying its contents and completing it.
You may not modify, change, copy, reproduce, re-publish, sub-licence, sell, upload, broadcast, present, show, post, transmit, make available, disseminate or distribute in any way the online courses or any part of them, without the prior written permission of Aurora Labs or Sergiu Curelea. You may not create derivative works based on the whole or any part of the courses on Aurora Labs Online.
Aurora Labs Apps
The apps published by Aurora Labs allow you to access various services. These apps are currently made available via the Google Play store for Android users and devices.
The apps published by Aurora Labs are provided "as is". They are not guaranteed to be error-free and their functioning is not guaranteed either. There might be downtime periods of one or multiple features of these apps, which is out of our control and you accept that Aurora Labs cannot be held responsible if such events occur.
We reserve the right to edit, change or even remove any of these apps, anytime, without prior notice.
Aurora Labs will not be responsible if you cannot connect to or use the apps, or if you use an incompatible device, unappropriate software, a problematic internet connection/ISP.
We do not make any guarantees that you will obtain a particular result from your use of any of our apps.
Aurora Labs shall not be responsible or liable neither for any losses of any kind, nor for any injuries you may suffer when you use the information from our apps. It is you who is responsible for the way you use the apps and the information obtained from these apps.
At all times Aurora Labs and Sergiu Curelea (the CEO of Aurora Labs) remain the owners of the intellectual property in the Aurora Labs apps.
No app and not even part of an app may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Aurora Labs or Sergiu Curelea.
Once you install any of our apps, you are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the app for the sole purpose of obtaining the information provided by the app.
You may not modify, change, copy, reproduce, re-publish, sub-licence, sell, upload, broadcast, present, show, post, transmit, make available, disseminate or distribute in any way our apps or any part of them, without the prior written permission of Aurora Labs or Sergiu Curelea. You may not create derivative works based on the whole or any part of the Aurora Labs apps.
Data protection
If needed, Aurora Labs may disclose your personal Information to legal administrations, under legal circumstances.
Aurora Labs takes all reasonable measures to protect your personal data, but cannot guarantee the security of any data you disclose, under circumstances beyond our control. You accept the security implications of being and transacting on-line, and will not hold us responsible for any breach of security.
Force majeure
Aurora Labs shall not be held liable for anything arising from causes beyond its reasonable control.
Other
Our website, e-mails, online courses, apps, may link to third party websites; we are not responsible for their contents, terms and conditions or privacy policies.
Aurora Labs reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions without any prior notice.
The terms and conditions on our website supersede those found on any of our other material, virtual or physical.
The website (including the Terms and conditions) currently has an English and a French version. The French version is a translated version from English, thus the English version is binding.