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Faqs

Common Questions

Faqs
  • Search
  • Registration
  • Communication
  • Booking Process
  • Payments
  • Rates
  • Booking Cancellations and Changes
  • Tours/Cruises
  • Winery Experiences
  • Hotel Programs
  • Reviews and Ratings
  • Complaints/Disputes
  • Search
    • 1 - How do I search for activities?

      There are two ways to search for activities on the website:

       

      1st - Search Engine:
      Through the search engine, on the website's main page and on the result pages, you can directly search by activities, locations or dates, by using keywords and search filters.
      If you are searching for a specific activity, you should directly enter your description in the search box. For example, if you are searching for a wine tour in Douro, you should -type "Douro Tour", and you can also select the date or date range on the calendar.
      You can also conduct your search directly by cities, wine regions, or dates as the system will present all available options according to the criteria selected.
      Search results will automatically be displayed based on popularity, most booked activities and top ratings will be listed first. You may also sort the results on the sidebar and at the top of results page, by date, meeting point, region, price, rating or duration of activity.

       

      2nd - Menus:
      As an alternative to the search engine, you may directly select activities on the menus of the platform. At the top you will find menus with all activities available according to category, where you may select by type of experience or by wine region.

  • Registration
    • 1 - Is it necessary to be registered on the website to make reservations?
      Yes, to make reservations you must create a user account on the website.
    • 2 - What personal data is required to register?

      To register on the website and create a user account, you will need to fill out a form with your personal data, including name, e-mail and password. During registration you do not need to enter your credit card details. These will only be requested to complete any reservation process. You can also register through your Facebook account.

    • 3 - What operations may I perform on my “user account”?

      Through the user account you can access the reservation management field, where you can check or cancel reservations made or pending, access the message centre, or consult the offers kept in the favorites section. You may also carry out operations such as alterations of personal data, addition of information or request the recovery/change of your password.

  • Communication
    • 1 - Can I pose questions directly to the partners?

      Yes, the website provides a direct message feature, available on the activities web page and on the partners' institutional web page, exclusively for the exchange of information between users and service providers. Our partners are committed to respond to your requests within 48 hours. In the event you do not receive a reply to your request during this time, you should contact Portugal by Wine. Please be advised that it is strictly forbidden to carry out any booking reservations through the message centre.

    • 2 - How can I get in contact with Portugal by Wine?

      You can contact us in any of the following ways:

       

      - Telephone: +351 234 029828
      - Mobile: +351 913 613 578
      - E-mail: info@portugalbywine.com 
      - Online Chat
  • Booking Process
    • 1 - Why should I book with Portugal by Wine?

      Portugal by Wine selects the best wine and gastronomic events in the country. The advantages of booking through our website are:

       

      - A simple and quick booking process;

      - The best offer of enogastronomic events;

      - Selected partners;

      - Best price guarantee;

      - Booking confirmations within 48 h;

      - Direct communication with service providers;

      - Reservation management in the user field;

      - Specialized, real-time customer service;

      - Partner and activity evaluation system;

      - Newsletter with news, promotions and suggestions for activities.

    • 2 - How can I make a reservation?

      To make a reservation you must go to the activities web page and select the desired date and number of people, then click on the “book” or “pre-book” tab according to the booking method. A form will be displayed which you must fill out with your personal data and payment details. After filling in the necessary fields, you must confirm your request by clicking the “confirm booking” tab.

    • 3 - Will my reservation be immediately confirmed?

      It depends. There are two booking methods:

      1.       Reservation subject to partner confirmation:

      The reservation is subject to confirmation. When making the reservation, the booking request is sent to partners along with your data, which then will take up to 48 hours to validate. If the request is accepted, the reservation will be confirmed, if not, it will be automatically canceled.

      2.       Reservation with instant confirmation:

      In this booking method, reservations are automatically accepted and confirmed by the system.

      The booking method is indicated in the terms and conditions on the activities page and throughout the entire booking process.

    • 4 - Will I receive a written confirmation of my reservation?
      You will always receive a written confirmation, via e-mail, with all details regarding your reservation.
      If your reservation is subject to confirmation, you will receive an informative email, directly after pre-booking, regarding the reservation request to the partner. Once it is analyzed, you will either receive a confirmation or cancelation email.
      If you choose a reservation with instant confirmation, you will receive a confirmation email immediately after making the reservation.

      The confirmation email will also have the voucher; therefore, it should be printed and handed in when redeeming the service.

    • 5 - What data is required to make a reservation?
      To make a reservation you must be registered on the platform. During the booking process you will need to fill in the necessary information, such as, the name, contact number, fiscal number or country, and the details of your card, such as card type, number, CVC code, expiration date and name of card holder. Alternatively, you can make the payment through your PayPal account or through MB WAY, or with a given reference through service payments at an ATM. 
    • 6 - How can I check my reservation status?

      To check your reservation status you must access your user account and select the “My reservations” tab.

    • 7 - Can I make a special request to the partners?

      Yes, during the booking process you may put in a special request to the partner by filling in the text box designated for this purpose. After the validation of the reservation, you may directly confirm with the partner if your special request will be met.

    • 8 - Do I have to book in advance?
      Not all the experiences on Portugal by Wine are reservations with instant confirmation.  Depending on the type of validation and payment, the period of time necessary to make a reservation is as follows:
      - Reservations with instant confirmation, 48 hour reservation restriction;
      - Reservations with instant confirmation, 24 hour reservation restriction;

      ATM payments:
      - Reservations with instant confirmation, 72 hour reservation restriction;
      - Reservations with instant confirmation, 24 hour reservation restriction;

      It is not possible to make any reservation more than one (1) year in advance.

    • 9 - Can I make a group booking?

      Yes, during the booking process you can select the number of persons and therefore make a group booking.

      Please note that the number of places available for each activity may vary, and that special conditions for group bookings, namely discounts, may be applied. You can view this information on the page and during the booking process of the activity.

    • 10 - Can I book over the phone?
      Portugal by Wine offers an entirely online booking service, which is 100% secure and automated, and therefore, does not offer the same type of service over the phone. However, we provide service by chat, email and telephone, to clarify any doubts concerning the online booking process.
    • 11 - Can I book an activity to offer another person?

      Yes, if you wish to book an activity for another person, simply select the option “offer experience” on the activities page.

       

      When booking through this option, you need to select the number of people to enjoy the experience and, when applies, a range of dates. Following payment, a voucher will be issued for the chosen activity, which can be sent to an address you indicate (your own or a third party). The voucher is valid for 6 (six) months and you must pre-book directly with the partner in order to schedule the date for the experience.

       

      Note, your invoice will be sent to your email. 

    • 12 - Where can I find the contacts and location of partner?

      After your reservation is confirmed, you will find the contacts and location of the partner on the confirmation email with the voucher. Until the checkout process is complete, you can communicate with the partner through our message center. 

    • 13 - What is the reservation code and why do I need it?

      The reservation code can be found on the booking confirmation. This number allows you to identify the reservation when communicating with a partner and with Portugal by Wine.

    • 14 - It has been 48 since I booked and I have not received confirmation. What should I do?

      Our partners are committed to Portugal by Wine to validate requests within 48 h, however considering their working days the confirmation period may exceed this time limit, so you should allow a 24hour tolerance. If you do not receive any notification after this period, please contact Portugal by Wine indicating your reservation code.

  • Payments
    • 1 - What methods of payment can I use to make a reservation?

      There are five possible payment methods made available to customers: 

      1. Through their PayPal account;
      2. Through Credit Card (Visa, Master Card) via Paypal account;
      3. Through Credit Card (Visa, Master Card) via Easypay;
      4. MBWay;
      5. Through ATM reference number (Easypay).

    • 2 - To make a reservation do I need to provide my credit card details?

      It depends.  If you use your PayPal or MB WAY account to issue payment, you will not have enter any data as this information is already stored on their servers. If you pay through credit card, you will need to enter your card details on the checkout page (managed by PayPal) in order to process reservation payment. In addition, you can issue payment through an ATM reference.

    • 3 - Do I have to pay when I make the reservation?

      Yes. In order to validate the reservation, the total amount of payment must be made. In the instant confirmation booking method, the total amount regarding your reservation will be debited directly from your account, whereas in the reservation subject to partner confirmation method, a pre authorization debit will be issued and will only be processed when, and if, the partner validates the booking request.

       In the case of payment by ATM reference, the reservation (whether immediate or subject to validation) will only be validated after payment had been made.

    • 4 - In what currency can I pay for a reservation made on Portugal by Wine?

      The PayPal payment platform used by Portugal by Wine allows for payment in over 25 currencies, in the case of payment in a currency other than the Euro, payment will be converted at the current exchange rate.

    • 5 - Can the experience be paid on site?

      No. Payment must be issued in full on the Portugal by Wine platform during booking process.

    • 6 - From what age do children have to pay for the activities?

      It depends on the experience. It is our partners that stipulate the price for children, as well as the age limits. You will find this information in the activity description and in the booking process.

    • 7 - Is my credit card secure?

       

      Yes, your credit card details will always be secure. User payment data will not be processed nor stored on the Portugal by Wine servers. In addition, both Portugal by Wine as well as their partners undertake to comply with the data protection and privacy general guidelines, in strict compliance with the Data Protection Law.


       

    • 8 - What does pre-authorization mean?

      A pre-authorization is a credit card validity check. This procedure temporarily "blocks" the amount equivalent to the total amount of your reservation.
      In the reservations subject to confirmation, until partner validation, the value will not be debited from your account. This value will remain pending confirmation and will only be debited if partner confirms reservation request. In case of non-validation by the partner, the pre-authorization will be removed in 30 business days' maximum.

    • 9 - There was an additional charge on my credit card besides the value of the reservation. How should I proceed?

      Portugal by Wine will never charge any fees on customer cards. If you believe that a fee was incorrectly charged, please contact Portugal by Wine.

    • 10 - Who issues the invoice and how do I access it?

      It is the responsibility of Portugal by Wine to process invoicing directly to customers. You will receive, by email, the tax invoice corresponding to the amount paid for the services purchased on the platform.

  • Rates
    • 1 - Does the rate of service include applicable fees?

      Yes, all rates presented do include taxes and all applicable fees.

    • 2 - Are the rates shown per person?
      Yes, the rates shown are per person. However, when selecting the number of people you want to book for, the total amount per group will be given, which in turn, for some activities, might suffer a reduction in value as the number of participants increases. You should carefully read the conditions of reservation for the activity in order to verify if this premise applies.
    • 3 - Do children pay?
      It depends on the activity and the age of the child. It is up to the partner to stipulate from what age children begin to pay for an activity and if they are to pay part or in full. Check in the activity description and/or during the booking process for all information regarding the rates paid per child.
    • 4 - Are any fees paid to Portugal by Wine?

      No, the service provided by Portugal by Wine is free of charge. 

  • Booking Cancellations and Changes
    • 1 - How can I cancel or change my reservation?
      All reservations must be canceled through your user account. To make a cancellation you need to select the "My reservations" option on your user account and then select the experience booked and click the "Cancel reservation" tab. The request for cancellation will automatically be sent to the partner and there is no need for direct contact, unless you have a specific question regarding cancellation. Remember to carefully analyze partner's cancellation policy to ensure you are acting within compliance of terms. Verify that there will be no additional costs and how you may be refunded. 
      To change your reservation you must get in contact directly with partner, via message center, and submit alterations.
    • 2 - If I need to cancel my reservation will there be a cancellation fee?
      It depends. Cancellation policies vary according to partner and/or activity. You need to check the cancellation or no show policy on the activities page. This information will also be included in your confirmation email. Notwithstanding the late cancelation penalties, all cancelations will incur a fee of €2.50 which will be deducted from the amount to be refunded.
    • 3 - How do I know my reservation has been cancelled?
      You will receive an email with your "Booking Status" indicating that your reservation has been cancelled. You can also go to your user account and check in the "My reservations" field all information regarding your reservations.
    • 4 - When and how can I be refunded?
      Portugal by Wine is responsible for processing the return funds whenever a customer cancels an activity within the time limit and pre-established terms stipulated in the partner’s cancellation policy. Refunds will be made according to how to you made the original payment. If purchase was made with a credit or debit card, the refund will be credited to the card used. If paid through your PayPal account, then you will be refunded to your PayPal account.

      The refund for the client will be made in a 30 (thirty) days maximum, except when the partner delays the return of the funds to Portugal by Wine. In this situation, the return to the client conditioned to the return of the funds by the partner.
  • Tours/Cruises
    • 1 - Where is the meeting point for the tours/cruise activities?
      You can find the meeting point where you can join the tours/cruise on the activities page and on the confirmation email. You can also request the information directly to the partners through the message centre.
    • 2 - I am not staying at a hotel. Will the partner pick me up at my residence?
      Most partners do not provide home pick-up, therefore you must go to the meeting point indicated on the activities page. However you should check for this information in the activity description, or alternatively contact the partner for further information.
    • 3 - On what days do the tours/cruises take place?
      The days for the tours/cruises are indicated on the calendar of the activity page.
    • 4 - Do tours/cruises offer several departure times?
      Departures times are all available on the activities page. Please note that all schedules are subject to change. In the event of this happening, you will be contacted by the partner via email or message centre the day before the scheduled event.
    • 5 - Where will I be dropped off after the tour finishes?
      It will depend on the activity and you must directly question the partner. The drop-off point for most tours is the hotel or a central location in the city where the tour began. You should confirm this information in the experience page or directly with the service provider.
    • 6 - What languages are available on the tours/cruises?
      Most partners offer their tours in English and Spanish. The languages available are indicated in the activity description.
    • 7 - Do the activities include travel insurance?

      Yes, the tours operators working with Portugal by Wine are companies credited by Turismo de Portugal, so all of them have insurance for their tourism activities. However, due to the others limitations, we advise you to take out personal travel insurance.

  • Winery Experiences
    • 1 - Can I book more than one activity in the same winery?
      Yes. However all reservations should be made separately. Even if you book two different activities with the same service provider you will have to make two separate reservations.
    • 2 - Is there a maximum number of people per reservation?
      Yes, you should check the terms and conditions on the activities page.
    • 3 - Can I book an activity for any time of the day?
      It depends. You should consult the available times which are in the description for each activity. Some activities are held at a specific time of the day while others can be enjoyed throughout the entire selected day. There might be a few exceptions for groups, with other schedule options or customized experiences. Contact the partner for further information.
  • Hotel Programs
    • 1 - How do I find out about hotel check-in and check-out time?
      The check-in and check-out times are specified in the terms of service.
    • 2 - What to do in the event I arrive later/earlier than the time stated in the reservation?
      You must get in contact with the hotel through the numbers stated on the confirmation email or through the message box on the website.
    • 3 - How do I know what facilities the hotel provides?
      You can view the information regarding the hotel in the terms and conditions, on the experience page or even contact the hotel directly through the website and request information.
  • Reviews and Ratings
    • 1 - What do the reviews and ratings consist of?
      The reviews and ratings are opinions and evaluations given by customers of Portugal by Wine of the activities they took part of. After booking date, you may review or rate the experience directly on the page or via the email you will receive requesting a personal review and rating of the activity and of service provider. Although this is optional, please note that customer feedback is extremely useful in the process of dealing with future customers and improving our services.
    • 2 - How do I review or rate an experience?
      Following the activity, you will receive an email requesting a rating of your experience regarding both the activity as well as the service provider. We will take your opinion into consideration and it will be posted on the activity page without any editing (unless containing improper language). You may also do it directly on the website through your user account in the "My Experiences" tab.

      If you wish to share with us other information regarding the activity such as photos, we will be glad to receive them and might even post them on or blog or social media. In this case you will need to send the information by email to info@portugalbywine.com.

    • 3 - Can I edit a review?
      It will not be possible to edit a review after you have submitted it.
  • Complaints/Disputes
    • 1 - How do I go about making a complaint regarding the service provided by a partner?
      Complaints and claims regarding service provided must be sent directly to partners, as Portugal by Wine is exempt from such responsibility. You can also use the activity rating and review system to show your dissatisfaction by issuing a negative critique/evaluation. 
      In the event the complaint or claim regards the service provided by Portugal by Wine, then you should contact us directly by email info@portugalbywine.com.
    • 2 - In the event of a conflict with service provider or with Portugal by Wine, which entities can I contact?
      In the event of a dispute, and under the Law nº 144/2015 of 8 of September, we inform that you may resort to the following Alternative Dispute Resolution Entities:

       

      i) Provedor do Cliente das Agências de Viagens e Turismo (Travel Agencies and Tourism Customer Ombudsman), through the following contacts: 
      Address: Rua Duque de Palmela, 2‐1º Dtº, 1250‐098 Lisboa
      Telephone: +351 213553010
      Email: provedor@provedorapavt.com

       

      Website: www.provedorapavt.com

       

      ii) Comissão Arbitral do Turismo de Portugal (Arbitration Committee of Tourism in Portugal) at www.turismodeportugal.pt

       

      iii) or to any entity duly indicated in the list made available by the Consumer Protection Office at www.consumidor.pt, whose consultation we advise.