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General conditions for intercity travel in Bulgaria

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR SELLING BUS TICKETS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF PASSENGERS ON REGULAR LINES AND FOR USING THE ONLINE SYSTEM OF UNION IVKONI Ltd. JULY 1st 2022.

These General Terms and Conditions also apply to travel on routes operated by carrier "Group Plus".

GENERAL PROVISIONS

The General Terms and Conditions for Using the Bus Ticket Selling System via the Website of Union Ivkoni Ltd. regulate only the relations between the clients of the system (hereinafter referred to as the CLIENT) and Union Ivkoni Ltd., respectively, the owner of the system of Union Ivkoni Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Union Ivkoni Ltd.).
“CLIENT” is the person who uses the system of Union Ivkoni Ltd.

These General Terms and Conditions provide information regarding working with the system by each CLIENT, during the time he or she uses the system, from the initial entry into the system, trough the bus ticket purchasing and the receiving of a reservation counterfoil, until he or she leaves the system.

DEFINITIONS

„Ticket”means a valid document or another type of proof of contract of carriage.
„Return ticket” means a valid document for transportation from and back to the same location of origin.
„Revalidation” means a change of travel date and/or time.
„Annulment” is canselation of travelling.
„Fiscal ticket” is a valid travelling document that has been issued by a fiscal device, bearing all the necessary requisites.
„Blank ticket” is a valid travelling document that has not been issued by a fiscaldevice, but bearing all the necessary requisites.
„Extra luggage” is each additional luggage unit, except the specified free luggage - 1 piece up to 30kg and dimensions 80/60/40 cm.


RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE CLIENTS

  1. The CLIENT is entitled to use the ticket selling services on www.union-ivkoni.com in compliance with the requirements of the General Terms and Conditions and rules.
  2. The CLIENT is personally liable before the law for all of the actions he or she performs during the use of the online ticket selling system on union-ivkoni.com.  
  1. The CLIENT agrees that part of the employees of Union Ivkoni Ltd., depending on their duties, may have access to the following information: e-mail address, IP addresses, etc., but they are not entitled to disclose/announce them, except in the cases provided for in these General Terms and Conditions.
  2. The CLIENT is liable for unregulated attempts to access through union-ivkoni.com to foreign directories, networks, computers or others. Union Ivkoni Ltd. shall not bear any responsibility with regards to the shown information or to the consequences of the use of other websites, to whichunion-ivkoni.com provides links.
  3. Wearing safety masks in public transport vehicles is recommended.

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF UNION IVKONI LTD.
 
  1. Via its system for bus ticket selling,Union Ivkoni Ltd. offers the services of bus ticket selling for Union Ivkoni Ltd., but it does not engage itself in the provision of support with regards to the usage of the system.
  2. The information provided by union-ivkoni.com is owned solely by Union Ivkoni Ltd. and/orits partners, vendors and users. The usage of content is a subject of written agreement with Union Ivkoni Ltd.
  3. The information regarding the time or arrival at a certain bust stop that is listen in the timetable is indicative.
  4. Union Ivkoni Ltd. is entitled to limit the access of some or all of its CLIENTS to part or to all of the services on the website (in case of unregulated access, force majeure circumstances, etc.).
  5. Union Ivkoni Ltd. may provide the media and third parties with a summarized reference from union-ivkoni.com solely for the purposes of advertizing.
  6. Union Ivkoni Ltd. does not allow the transportation of passengers, who visibly appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as of persons, whose behavior endangers the lives and the health of the other passengers and the staff. The evaluation of the condition of a passenger shall be performed by the driver of the motor transport vehicle, who also is the responsible person for the transportation. In case of determining the abovementioned situation, the driver may deny the passenger an access to the transportation and to the board of the transport vehicle.
  7. Union Ivkoni Ltd.  retains its right to change the No. of the seat in the relevant bus without any prior notice, in case of occurrence of circumstances dueto reasons beyond the control of carrier.
  8. Union Ivkoni Ltd. shall not be held liable with regards to the content of all pieces of advertisement, as well as to the trademarks that are put on the union-ivkoni.com website. The liability with regards to these shall only be borne by the advertisers.
  9. Claims are valid only, if they are filed in writing, within 1 month as of the date of the travel, along with a copy of the ticket and a luggage receipt. Without the provision of the abovementioned documents, no claims shall be reviewed.
  10. Every passenger who bought a ticket is insured for the Accident risk within the limits of the travel.
 
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
 
  1. The intellectual property rights over the online system for selling of bus tickets for transportation of passengers - union-ivkoni.com, the software products, the documents and other materials belong to Union Ivkoni Ltd.
  2. The Client is not entitled to change, improve, copy, reproduce, adapt, hide, decompress, release or lease the internet reservation system or any part of the content provided by union-ivkoni.com neither on his or her own, nor through a third party.
  3. Union Ivkoni Ltd. is entitled to change the design of the website for bus ticket selling without any prior notice.
 
PURCHASE OF A TICKET FOR TRAVELLING WITH UNION IVKONI Ltd.

You can perform an online purchase of a bus ticket via the system for bus ticket selling only in the following manner:
  1. Choose the type of the ticket- one-way / two-way!;
  2. Choose your desired destination!;
  3. Choose a date for travelling!;
  4. Select +/- 3 days, if you wish to see the timetable and the prices for travelling around your chosen date!;
  5. Press the „Search” button!;
  6. In the new open window, choose the time when you wish to depart, and in case that you have chosen a two-way ticket, please, choose the relevant hour of return! In case of change in the parameters of the travel, it is imperative that you shall press the „Search” button, so that the possible times for departure and returned are showed. The online purchase of tickets is automatically quit 2 (two) hours before the departure of the bus from the relevant bus stop;
  7. Choose the number of passengers!After you have made your choice, press the „Continue” button!;
  8. In the „Data of the Passengers” new open window, carefully file the following–Number of a discount card (if you own one); Name and surname; е-mail address and telephone number for contact with you! The reservation will be valid, in case that there are free seats. File your date of birth /yymmdd/, in order to be provided an age discount, in case that you comply with the conditions for such discount (child, youth under 26 years, pensioner)! The discounts are not accumulated – the system automatically chooses the biggest discount;                                                                                          
8.1. Choice of seat: there is a „seat choice”/ „seat temp. choice” (for two-way tickets) option situated below the "names of the passenger" fields. The blue seats are free, the red seats are taken. Choose a seat and press the „SAVE” button!
  1. Read the General Terms and Conditions regarding the Personal Data Protection and tick the field that says that you agree with them and accept them!;
  2. Press the „Buy” button! Upon this operation, you will be transferred to the webpage ofa servicing bank with a protected data entry from the card that you are paying with. The operation is performed by the bank. Union Ivkoni Ltd. does not have any access to the data regarding yourcard;
  3. Enter a name, bank card number and its validity, as well as the CVC2 code indicated on the back of the card, according to the bank card issuer's requirements!;
  4. After the successful payment, you will be redirected back to the website of Union Ivkoni Ltd. in order to receive a reservation number. In case of unsuccessful payment, the reservation will be annulled automatically within 15 minutes. You will receive information regarding thesuccessful/unsuccessful reservation on the email address. Your request for reservation constitutes a purchase of a ticket from Union Ivkoni Ltd.;
  5. Next, you shall print the reservation counterfoil from the file you receive on the email address you have provided.
Note:
  • The duration of online purchase/session takes 10 minutes. Otherwise, the reservation is canceled.
  • The reservation of a seat in the buses of Union Ivkoni Ltd. is made after paying 100% of the value of the ticket;
  • You may use the discounts provided by the company, but upon the receipt of the ticket and during the travel, you shall provide the employees of Union Ivkoni Ltd. with a document that certifies the basis for discount. Otherwise, you shall pay the difference in the value of the ticket, or the transport service may be denied to you.
RECEIPT OF TICKETS
 
  1. The tickets purchases via the online system are received at the cashiers of Union Ivkoni no later than 30 minutes before the departure from the relevant bus stop, and under particular circumstances – from the driver of the bus, during entering the bus.
  2. In order to receive your ticket, you shall provide an employee at a cashiers of Union Ivkoni Ltd. with a reservation counterfoil or with the reservation number. Otherwise, Union Ivkoni Ltd. is entitled to deny you the issuance of a ticket and no transport service may be provided to you.
  3. The received ticket contains the data that you have entered during the reservation. It is a responsibility of the passenger to check the data listed on the ticket immediately after its receipt and also to learn the whole information that might be of interest to him or her before purchasing a ticket. The entering of incorrect or incomplete data by the passenger will make the purchase of the ticket invalid. In such cases, Union Ivkoni Ltd. is not liable for the making of the purchase of a bus ticket and for the performance of the transportation.
  4. The validity of a purchased two-way ticketis 6 /six/ months as of the first day of travel.

REVALIDATIONS AND ANNULMENTS

CLIENTS who have purchased bus tickets via union-ivkoni.com for travelling with Union Ivkoni Ltd. are entitled to:
  1. Revalidate the ticket (change of the date and time of the travel) –solely and only in case of availability of free seats for the wished date and time. The change can be made solely and only at the cashiers of the company, no later than 1 hour before departure. For that purpose, the CLIENT shall provide the number of the reservation, the reservation counterfoil or the ticket (if such ticket has already been issued). The revalidation shall be made in compliance with the following terms and conditions:
1.1 Until the time of departure from the relevant bus station – the CLIENT does not owe any penalty;
1.2 After the departure from the relevant bus station – the ticket is deemed to have been used and it cannot be revalidated;
1.3 Only one revalidation is allowed in a certain direction.
  1. Annul the ticket (cancellation of the travel) under the following terms and conditions:
2.1 Up to 24 hours before the departure from the relevant bus station, whereas the CARRIER shall compensate the CLIENT for the total value of the ticket;
2.2 From 23.59 hours until 12 hours before the departure from the relevant bus station, where as the CARRIER shall compensate the CLIENT for 90 percent of the value of the ticket;
2.3 From 11.59 houers until 1 hour before the departure from the relevant bus station, where as the CARRIER shall comensate the CLIENT for 70 percent of the value of the ticket;
2.4 Less than 1 hour before the departure and until the time of departure from the relevant bus station, whereas the CARRIER shall refund the CLIENT 50 percent of the ticket value;
2.5 After the departure from the relevant bus station – the ticket is considered used and no amounts are refunded to the CLIENT;
2.6 Cancellation of use of a service that has been paid at the cashiers shall be made only during the work hours of the cashiers at which the ticket has been purchased and only after its original has been returned in its wholeness.
2.7 Cancellation of use of a service that has been paidvia bank card or via online payment shall be made via telephone on the national telephone numbers of the company or at a cashiers, whereas the provision of a reservation number is necessary.If the ticket has already been issued at a cashiers, cancellation can be made only during the work hours of the cashiers at which the ticket has been purchased and only after its original has been returned in its wholeness.
  1. The revalidated ticket is not subject to annulment.
  2. The two-way ticket shall be deemed to be one whole unit.In case that the first direction of the ticket has been used, the second one can only be revalidated in compliance with the terms and conditions for revalidation.
In case of cancellation of a travel, the amount paid for a ticket that has been purchased via the online system shall be recovered via bank transfer in accordance with the terms and conditions for cancellation of travel and annulment, within 10 /ten/ business days as of the date of the annulment of the ticket. The receipt of the amounts from the annulments depends on the bank terms and conditions of the bank that has issued the card of the CLIENT.
 
LIABILITY OF UNION IVKONI Ltd.
 
  1. The ticket constitutes a contract for bus transportation between the passenger and the carrier. The carrier undertakes its responsibilitiesin accordance with Art. 42 - Art.48 of the Law on Automobile Transportations.
  2. In consideration of the ticket bought by the CLIENT, Union Ivkoni Ltd. provides automobile transportation on the listed route.
  3. In consideration of the ticket bought by the CLIENT, Union Ivkoni Ltd. provides a seat in accordance with the choice of the client, whereas the schemes for the choice of seats are given as an example and they are subject to change by the company.
  4. The carrier is not liable for delay in the schedule in case of circumstances beyond its control, such asstrikes, traffic jams, bad atmospheric conditions, crashes, technical accident of the transportation vehicle during travelling and other circumstances that the carrier could not foresee and/or prevent, whereas the listing is not explicit.
  5. In case of non-performance of a travel directly attributable to the carriercompany, the passenger shall be compensated for 100 percent of the value of the ticketfor the non-performed section, as well as for the direct expenses with regards to the travel of the passengerto the place of departure of the bus, provided that there are documents confirming this.
  6. Union Ivkoni Ltd. is not liable for luggage that has been lost or stolen before the checking in the bus or after the handing over of the luggage upon the arrival at the relevant bus station. The carrier is liable with regards to the luggage that is situated in the transportation vehicle, unless the harm or the lack of it is due to the nature or the defects of the luggage itself, orin case that even though there were suitable measures applied, the prevention of the harms was not possible (unpreventable force). The carrier shall store the luggage that nobody has sought after with the standard care due by every good traderand it shall be liable for their storage within the term of 3 months.
 
LIABILITY OF THE CLIENT
 
  1. The CLIENT is obliged to check whether the data printed on his or her ticket is correct. Union Ivkoni Ltd. does not have an obligation to correct any mistakes after the contract has been concluded.
  2. The CLIENT is obliged tomaintain the wholeness of the received ticket. Union Ivkoni Ltd. is not liable for lost, stolen or damaged tickets. No copies of tickets shall be issued.
  3. The CLIENT bears personal financial liability for the harms he or she has caused to the transportation vehicle.
  4. The transportation of children below the age of 14 years is not allowed, if they are unattended by an adult companion or if they do not travel in compliance with the applicable legislation.
 
PRICING OF THE TICKETS
 
The prices of the tickets announced via union-ivkoni.com for travelling with Union Ivkoni Ltd. are in Bulgarian leva, 20 percent of VAT included.
Union Ivkoni Ltd. retains its right to change the prices announced at union-ivkoni.com.
When the price of the ticket is changed, the valid price is the one that has been in force as at the moment of purchasing of the ticket by the CLIENT.
In case of ONLINE purchasing, no additional taxes are calculated on the price of the bus tickets.
 
TRANSPORTATION OF LUGGAGE
 
The CLIENT is entitled to transportation of the following types of luggage:
 
*HAND LUGGAGE UP TO 5 KG WITH DIMENSIONS OF 30x40x15 CM (BOARD LUGGAGE)
 
Union Ivkoni Ltd. does not bear any responsibility for the Hand Luggage (Board Luggage) of the CLIENT which is not checked in and which is situated in the passenger compartment of vehicle and remains under your custody (or the custody of the CLIENT) throughout the trip.

 
The purchased ticket entitles the CLIENT to transport without additional payment in the luggage compartment one piece of personal luggage of up to 30 kg and dimensions 80х60х40 cm.  In such case, the CLIENT receives a luggage receipt in accordance with the provisions of Art. 39 of the AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORTATION LAW.
For any additional luggage unit not exceeding the specified parameters, the CLIENT pays an "Additional luggage" fee of 5.00 BGN. The CLIENT pays the fee at the Carrier's Box Office.
No transportation of luggage is allowed in case that no luggage receipt has been issued or in case that the luggage does not belong to a passenger.

In accordance with Art. 37, para. 4 of the Law on Automobile Transportation, no acceptance and transportation of packages and luggage is allowed in case that they do not belong to a passenger.
The placement and carrying of money (irrespective of the currency and the amount), securities, documents, credit and debit cards, traveler’s cheques, securities, items of numismatic and art value, jewels and other articles made of precious metals, precious and semi-precious stones, GSM devices, smart devices and tablets, all types of video and audio equipment, computer configurations and portable computers, charging devices, optical devices and parts for the latter in the luggage of the passengers that is transported in the luggage compartment of the buses is not allowed. In case of total or partial lack and/or harm of luggage containing the precious items, articles and similar stuff listed above, in spite of the prohibition of their transportation, Union Ivkoni shall not be liable for the latter and it shall not pay the passenger their value, neither shall it compensate him or her for these items.
The placement and carrying of firearms and ammunitions, explosives and flammable products, smoke bombs and cartridges, dynamite, black powder and plastic explosives, mines, grenades and other containers and devices loaded with explosives, capsule detonators, detonators and wicks, inflammable and/or poisonous chemical substances, fireworks and other pyrotechnical items, narcotic drugs, sedating, psychotropic and poisonous substances and/or their analogues, as well as precursors or devices and materials for the production of narcotic substances, items or substances, which, due to their nature or package, constitute risk for the lives and the health of the persons travelling in the bus, movable cultural objects, with regards to which there is no issued permit, certificate or another type of document that proves the right of their storage, use and transportation, religious materials of forbidden cults and organizations or of cults and organizations that have not been registered on the territory of the country, excise goods, the excise over which has not been paid, excise goods /such as cigarettes and alcohol/, the excise over which has been paid, but which exceed the quantity limits for personal use determined by law, all types of skimming devices for ATMs, which are forbidden by law, all other types of goods and substances, which are forbidden by law, in the luggage of passengers (irrespective of whether they are being carried in the hand luggage or being transported in the luggage compartment of the bus) is forbidden.
 
Exception: the firearms and ammunitions owned by citizensfor the purposes of self-defense, hunting, sports, cultural values and collection may be transported only as hand luggage in strict compliance with the provisions of the legislation in force with regards to the manner of maintenance, carrying and use of such firearms.
 
TRANSPORTATION OF PETS AND OTHER ANIMALS
 
Union Ivkoni Ltd. allows solely and only the transportation of guide dogs accompanying a disabled passenger.
Union Ivkoni Ltd. does not allow the transportation of pets and other animals.
 
SMOKING, INCLUDING THE USE OF ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES, EVAPORATORS ETC IS FORBIDDEN IN UNION IVKONI EOOD BUSES!
 
THE IMPORT AND CONSUMMATION OF FOOD, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND SOFT DRINKS IN THE PASSENGERS’ COMPARTMENT IS ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN! All of the buses that serve lines with length over 300 kilometers in one direction, are provided with a mini bar that offers dry food, mineral water, hot and cold soft drinks, and beer. The bar is accessible for the clients only during the regulated breaks.
 
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE ONLINE SYSTEM
In order to access the online system, one needs the following:
  1. Internet Connection

Internet browser – minimal versions: Mozilla Firefox 8.0; Internet Explorer 8 or Google Chrome.
 
In all other cases that are not explicitly described in the present General Terms and Conditions, the provisions of the LAW ON AUTOMOBILE TRANSPORTATIONS, ORDINANCE No. 33 of 03.11.1999 regarding the Public Transportation of Passangers and Luggage on the Territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and the provisions of the legislation of the Republic of Bulgaria in force shall be applied.

The present General Terms and Conditions shall also apply to the selling of bus tickets on the cashiers of Union Ivkoni Ltd. In case of discrepancy between the terms and conditions written on the back of the ticket and the present General Terms and Conditions, the clauses of the present General Terms and Conditions shall prevail. The present General Terms and Conditions shall also apply with regards to the implementation of OCCASIONAL TRANSPORT OF PASSENGERS, whereas in case of application of different travelling terms and conditions, the latter shall be agreed in the concrete contract for occasional transport of passengers concluded with the relevant COUNTERPARTY.

By purchasing a transportation document, the CLIENT accepts the General Terms and Conditions fully and without any exception!