On SafariBookings, there are certain guidelines and rules that tour operators are expected to follow to ensure a seamless experience for clients and uphold the integrity of our marketplace. Breaching these guidelines or rules will result in suspension or termination of your SafariBookings account.
We are committed to providing an honest system for comparing African safari tours, where clients can rely on authentic tour operator reviews based on the experiences of real clients. Therefore, we do not take posting fake reviews lightly.
What constitutes as a fraudulent review?
We consider the following type of reviews as fraudulent and as grounds for warnings/suspensions:
- A review submitted by someone who did not go on safari with you (the burden of proof for this is on the tour operator)
- The review is paid - either by bribing a client, or by paying for a review-writing service
Submitting fake reviews violates both the SafariBookings guidelines and EU laws regarding misleading reviews. We have a dedicated team in place that uses advanced technology to screen each review that is submitted to our website. Our spam detection technology is designed to find and flag suspicious and/or non-authentic reviews. When a review gets flagged, our team will put all the operator’s reviews under further investigation.
How to prevent this from happening:
Operators should ensure that each review is written by a real client. If you receive a review from a client you don’t recognize, you should immediately report it to reviews@safaribookings.com as you might be the victim of another tour operator who is trying to make it look as though you are posting fake reviews yourself.
Additionally, operators can invite their clients to write a review by using our invite service, which will lead to more genuine, positive reviews and increased bookings.
Ensuring all reviews posted to SafariBookings are genuine is of great benefit to the credibility of both SafariBookings and you, our partners.
What the consequences are:
- The first time a fake review is detected, the account will be given a one-time warning.
- The second time a fake review is detected, a one-month suspension will be given to the tour operator in question.
- The third time a fake review is detected, the account will be permanently suspended. In addition, all positive reviews will be deleted, and a warning message will be posted on the company profile page regarding this dishonest behavior. If people Google the company name, there is a good chance that they will encounter this warning message.
Owning multiple accounts under the same shareholder is a breach of our terms because it can lead to unfair advantages, such as manipulating platform features, skirting rules, or inflating participation in a way that disrupts the integrity of our community. Multiple accounts can be used to gain disproportionate influence or artificially inflate performance metrics, ultimately undermining the fairness and trust that are essential to the platform’s functioning. To maintain a level playing field for all users, we require transparency and fairness in account ownership.
SafariBookings doesn't allow the same owner(s):
- to have more than one account on our platform
- to publish the same tours under a different name or account
We only make a (rare) exception if the company and tours offered are completely different from each other. (different business registrations, countries, destinations, markets, and tours).
If you have the business registration and operator license in the name of these companies, we will determine if they both can hold a separate account on our platform, subject to the conditions outlined below:- One shareholder can have a maximum of two different SafariBookings accounts.
- New shareholders must have held the position for 12 months before the second account can be activated.
- Published tours under these different accounts are not 'duplicates' or 'near duplicates' (e.g., same number of days, same order of destinations, same budget class, same accommodations, and almost the same price).
- Every company operates according to the guidelines of the respective country's tourism department.
- Clients can only write a review for the company they booked and traveled with.
- Negative balances will be paid within 7 working days (we'll remove the credit facility of €250 for these companies).
- Any violation of our guidelines (like posting fake reviews, adding duplicate tours, or ignoring our 'Best Price Guarantee') will have consequences for both accounts/ companies.
- We only grant the onboarding webinar bonus to one company.
What the consequences are:
- If any of the above conditions are not met, the secondary account under the same shareholder will be suspended.
What documentation and information SafariBookings needs from you:
- Your company's CR-12/13 (The Companies Act) Form
- The email addresses of all shareholders according to the CR-12/13 form (for ID verification purposes)
Why SafariBookings needs this information
Because of European Know-Your-Customer (KYC) laws, we are required to verify certain information from the companies and individuals that we do business with. Additionally, making sure all companies present on SafariBookings are thoroughly verified tour operators will increase the credibility of SafariBookings and you as an active tour operator on the platform.
What the consequences are:
- Missing documents may result in a temporary suspension of the account until the correct documentation has been submitted.
- Sending fake documents will result in the permanent suspension of your account.
Offensive language on our platform is considered a breach of our guidelines because it undermines the values of respect, inclusivity, and positive interaction that we aim to promote. Using harmful, derogatory, or inappropriate language can create a negative experience for other users, discourage participation, and disrupt the overall atmosphere of the platform. Our goal is to foster a welcoming and supportive environment.
Additionally, offensive language can lead to harmful behaviors such as harassment or discrimination, which go against the principles of fairness and mutual respect that we stand for. By enforcing rules against offensive language, we ensure that everyone can enjoy a safe, respectful, and enjoyable space to interact, share ideas, and collaborate without fear of hostility or exclusion
What the consequences are:
- If discriminatory, threatening, or very insulting language is found, it may result in the permanent suspension of your account.
Tour operators offer their tours on SafariBookings under a 'Best Price Guarantee'.
This Guarantee means that the tours on our platform should be made available at the same or better rate as offered on your website and other sales channels (such as social media).
This Guarantee is intended to ensure fair and transparent business practices among Tour Operator, Clients and SafariBookings. It gives Clients confidence that they are receiving the best possible rate for a Tour and prevents Tour Operators from using lower rates on their own website and other direct sales channels to bypass the SafariBookings platform.Clients can only make a valid claim under this Guarantee before they have paid for the tour, or within 24 hours after their payment. In the event of a valid claim by a client, the tour operator should immediately adjust the rate(s) made available on SafariBookings.com using the tour's settings to offer the tour to the client at the lower rate or pay back the full difference if the client has already paid for the tour.
What the consequences are:
- Any tours found not to be in line with our Best Price Guarantee will be removed.
- Repeat offenders are suspended.
At Safaribookings, we trust that you will not interact unfairly with other operators, which could be a detriment to their business.
This includes:
- Reviewing other operators.
- Requesting a quote from other operators.
- Copying content from other operators.
- Sharing clients' details with other operators.
Reviewing other operators
Operators posting reviews on other operators' profiles are strictly prohibited, regardless if the review and feedback left were positive or negative. This can skew an operator's credibility which undermines the platform's credibility.
Consequences:
- Leaving a review on any other operator's profile will immediately result in the permanent suspension of your account.
Requesting a quote from other operators
When one operator requests a quote without genuine intent to book, the other incurs costs associated with time, resources, and personnel dedicated to crafting a detailed response. This practice can create an uneven marketplace where some operators bear unnecessary expenses.
This is only allowed if it's clear that the person requesting is requesting as an agent for clients.
Consequences:
- Anonymous requests (without stating their company name) may result in permanent suspension.
Copying content from other operators
Developing unique, detailed itineraries and descriptions requires extensive research, local expertise, and creative effort to craft experiences that reflect an operator’s distinct offerings and brand. Copying this content undermines the originality and value these operators bring to the market, misrepresents offerings to customers, and erodes trust.
Consequences:
- The first offense will result in a one-time warning.
- The second offense will result in a permanent suspension.
Sharing clients' details with other operators
Our policy strictly forbids sharing client details with other tour operators, as it compromises client trust and violates privacy standards. Client information is shared with specific operators under the assurance of confidentiality, and unauthorized sharing breaches that trust, undermining both the client relationship and our reputation as a trustworthy marketplace.
Consequences:
- The first offense will result in a one-time warning.
- The second offense will result in a permanent suspension.
We believe in fostering a fair and respectful industry where all operators are protected from practices that are both financially exploitative and morally questionable.