About GINZ.com

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does the GINZ Booking Service work?
   

   GINZ is a booking service for travelers to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Instead of your local travel consultant arranging accommodation or transportation and issuing you with vouchers, you deal with a travel consultant based at your destination. This person has personal experience with all the accommodations, hosts, rental companies and tour operators offered and is able to recommend the best options for you. After booking your travel arrangements with GINZ, you will receive a written confirmation in the form of an itinerary and an invoice. Vouchers are printed and forwarded to you generally by post to your address, along with details on locations and pick ups, maps and other information or may be faxed or sent by e-mail if time does not allow for posting. Your credit card will be charged for the confirmed bookings. We then automatically prepay to secure your bookings. For further information see Booking conditions.

2. How safe is it to send my credit card details to you on the internet?
   

   Here at GINZ.com, we want your shopping experience to be enjoyable and secure. The purchase area of our site is secure. This means that any information you send us is protected by encryption. It is easy to tell when you are protected - the lock or key at the bottom of your browser changes colour or is no longer broken. This may vary depending on your browser. If you prefer, you can send your credit card details to us by e-mail, phone or fax or pay by bank draft into our account. For more information and our guarantee, see our GINZ Safe Shopping Guarantee.

3. How do I know what facilities are available at the accommodation I book?
   

   The following standard terms are used to describe facilities at each accommodation listed. If you have any further questions about facilities at individual accommodations, please check with our consultants.

   • Double: double bed for two guests - either double size or queen size

   • King Double: king-size double bed for two guests - either king size or super king size

   • Twin: two single beds for two guests

   • Unit: double or twin room with bathroom, lounge and some kitchen facilities

   • Family Unit: mostly one or two bedrooms with unit facilities

   • Ensuite: bathroom attached to bedroom for exclusive use

   • Private bath: bathroom not attached to bedroom, but for exclusive use

   • Share bath: bathroom is shared with other guests

   • Breakfast: refer to accommodation page to see if breakfast is included

4. What does the price include?
   

   All prices for accommodation are net per room unless otherwise stated. All prices include any taxes (eg. Goods and Services tax) and are quoted in local currency. See Currency Converter on each page on the right hand side. For rental vehicles and motorhomes / campervans, prices generally include the rental cost. Insurance and petrol bond, airport fees, state government taxes, stamp duties, any one-way fees, extras (i.e. baby seat) and optional insurance waivers, which you pay when you pick up the car or motor home. There are some exceptions to this, for example short hires.

5. We are travelling with children. Are facilities and prices different for them?
   

   A number of accommodation hosts offer child facilities and our consultants would be happy to advise which ones are best suited to a family. Child prices are not always stated so please apply for a quotation if you are traveling with children and advise their ages.

6. Can we book our International Flights with GINZ as well?
   

   GINZ can arrange International flights between Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands only. International guests from outside of these countries will need to arrange international flights to and from their own country. For more information, please contact us.

7. If we visit the North and the South Islands, what do we do about getting our rental car across Cook Strait?
   

   Ferry Services between the North and South Islands are a common means of transport for New Zealanders and International visitors and leave several times a day from each port. The ferry takes 3 hours. Most major rental car companies will require you to drop your rental car at one port (Wellington or Picton) and pick up another at your port of arrival. There is no guarantee you will get the same kind of rental car although it will be of the same class. This standard procedure is generally easy and hassle free. Travellers will check in luggage (as with an airport), luggage will be transported and ready for pickup at the terminal building at the port of destination. You are therefore only required to purchase ferry passenger tickets. Please note: If you are traveling in a campervan or motorhome you will be required to take these over on the ferry and you will require passenger and vehicle ferry tickets.

8. Tourism and Internet Awards
   

   The New Zealand Tourism Awards celebrate excellence and encourage ongoing improvements in the New Zealand tourism industry. The awards focus on finding the best operators in the tourism industry. GINZ.com were finalists in the New Zealand Tourism Awards for 1999 and 2000 in sections for Media and Communications. To read more about the New Zealand Tourism awards and the criteria see http://www.tianz.org.nz/tourismawards/

9. Weta Award Website of Excellence in Tourism
   

   In December 1998 GINZ.com won this award for Tourism service. The WETA Awards highlight the efforts of organisations who have effectively utilised the Internet to promote their tourism product and New Zealand tourism. For more information on WETA see http://www.weta-awards.com/

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