JR-EAST: Shinkansen Reservation

JR-EAST Shinkansen Reservation Service Agreement

The following JR-EAST Shinkansen Reservation Service Agreement (the "Service Agreement") governs the use by the customers of the seat reservation services (the "Service") offered by the East Japan Railway Company (the "Company"). Please read through the Service Agreement very carefully prior to using the Service, as using the Service indicates that you have agreed to all of the terms and conditions of the Service Agreement.

Article 1 (The Service)

This Service offers our customers the opportunity to purchase reserved seat express tickets and Green Car tickets (hereinafter referred to as "Reserved Seat Tickets") for the Tohoku Shinkansen ("Hayate", "Max Yamabiko", "Yamabiko", "Max Nasuno" and "Nasuno"), Akita Shinkansen ("Komachi"), Yamagata Shinkansen ("Tsubasa"), Joetsu Shinkansen ("Max Toki", "Toki", "Max Tanigawa" and "Tanigawa"), Nagano Shinkansen ("Asama"), Narita Express (between the Tokyo metropolitan area and Narita International Airport), Limited Express trains on the Joban Line ("Super Hitachi" and "Fresh Hitachi" : between the Tokyo metropolitan area and Mito/Iwaki area), the Chuo Line ("Super Azusa", "Azusa" and "Kaiji" : between the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kofu/Matsumoto area), and the Tokaido Line ("Super View Odoriko" and "Odoriko" : between the Tokyo metropolitan area and Atami/Ito area) using the JR-EAST Shinkansen Reservation website managed by the Company. Payment for this Service can only be made through the use of a valid credit card (hereinafter referred to as "Credit Card") chosen from a list of Credit Cards designated by the Company.
To use this Service customers are required to register as members of the site (a customer who is registered as a member of the site to use the Service is hereinafter referred to as a "Member").
The Service is intended for personal use by the Members, who plan to travel within Japan, and is not designed for commercial use by travel agents or other travel business operators. The Company reserves the right to refuse to provide the Service to anyone or any entity the Company determines to be using this Service for commercial purposes. The Company will not offer or make any commission payments for any resale of Reserved Seat Tickets purchased through this Service to a third party.

Article 2 (Validity of Reserved Seat Tickets)

The validity of Reserved Seat Tickets purchased by a Member through this Service shall be determined in accordance with the Company's passenger sales regulations (hereinafter referred to as "Passenger Sales Regulations"), unless otherwise provided in the Service Agreement. The period between the consummation of a contract (described in Article 4) and the issuance of Reserved Seat Tickets (described in Article 5) shall be deemed as the holding period and any tickets held within this period (hereinafter referred to as "Reserved Seat Tickets in Holding") shall be subject to the refund terms pursuant to the Passenger Sales Regulations except here otherwise stipulated by the Company.

Article 3 (Receipt of Booking Applications and Responses)

The hours during which booking applications through this Service are accepted and the time it takes to provide responses to such booking applications, are as follows:
(1)Booking hours: Designated first sales day for the train (same date during the preceding month of the train's departure date from the first station; if the same date does not exist during the preceding month, the following rules shall apply: Bookings for trains leaving on March 29, 30 and 31 will be accepted starting March 1. Bookings for trains leaving on May 31 will be accepted starting May 1. Bookings for trains leaving on July 31 will be accepted starting July 1. Bookings for trains leaving on October 31 will be accepted starting October 1. Bookings for trains leaving on December 31 will be accepted starting December 1). The hours during which these bookings may be made are from 10:00 JST (Japan Standard Time) of the date whereon the acceptance of booking begins, continuing for 24 hours daily until 17:00 JST of the day which is three days before the day of the train's departure date.

(2)Responses: Provided within approximately 24 hours from the time at which the Company receives the booking application from the customer (may take more time in some circumstances).
The Company shall provide a response, either on its website or by e-mail, to booking applications made by Members.

Article 4 (Consummation of Contract)

A contract for purchasing Reserved Seat Tickets shall be consummated and become effective when the Company indicates on the website or sends an e-mail message to indicate that the Member's booking has been confirmed.
Contracts pertaining to transportation stipulated in the Passenger Sales Regulations relating to Reserved Seat Tickets as provided for in Article 1, Section 1 shall be consummated at such time as credit card settlement of the price of the pertinent tickets is received and the tickets are delivered.
The date indicated on Reserved Seat Tickets purchased using the Service shall be the date on which the Member actually picked up the tickets, regardless of the date on which the contract had been consummated. Similarly, the date for debiting the Credit Card used for payment will also be the date on which the Member actually picked up the Reserved Seat Tickets.

Article 5 (Issuance of Reserved Seat Tickets)

Reserved Seat Tickets held for the Members can be picked up at Midori-no-madoguchi (Reservation Ticket Office), View Plaza (Travel Service Center) or Information Center counters (these are hereinafter collectively referred to as "Ticket Counters") at stations specified by the Company. The Ticket Counters at which Reserved Seat Tickets can be received are limited; available Ticket Counters will be listed on the website at such time as reservation is made. Tickets will not be issued at Midori-no-madoguchi counters of other JR companies or travel agencies.
Please present your reservation number, and your Credit Card, which was registered with the site during the member registration, when you arrive at the Ticket Counter to pick up your Reserved Seat Tickets held for you. The Credit Card is then used in the ticket-issuing machine to issue your Reserved Seat Tickets.
The hours during which you can pick up Reserved Seat Tickets being held for you at a Ticket Counter (such hours hereinafter referred to as "Ticket Counter Issuing Hours") are determined by the Company separately hereto.
The deadline for picking up Reserved Seat Tickets being held for you shall be a time on the day preceding that of the train's departure, the time of day to be specified by the Company.
If a Member fails to pick up Reserved Seat Tickets held for the Member by the pick-up deadline, the reservation for the pertinent tickets shall be deemed cancelled and the full amount of the ticket shall be charged to the Member's Credit Card in a single payment without the Member's signature regardless of the payment method provided in Article 6 below. Reserved Seat Tickets and Credit Card payment record slips will not be issued in this case.
The Company assumes no liability or responsibility whatsoever, for a Member's failure to pick up Reserved Seat Tickets held for the Member in time, even if failure to do so is due to cancellations, delays or re-routing of flights (or other transportation) taken by such Member.

Article 6 (Methods of Payment)

Payment for Reserved Seat Tickets booked and purchased through this Service must be made using the Credit Card registered at such time as the Member signed up for membership, and by the methods specified by the Company.

Article 7 (Application of Individual Discounts)

Company shareholder's discounts and other discounts (hereinafter referred to as "Discount") offered by the Company, may be used for the purchase of Reserved Seat Tickets booked through this Service. This Service may also be used to book reserved seats for Japan Rail Passes and JR East Passes and special program tickets such as limited-express designated seat coupons (hereinafter referred to as "Special Program Ticket"). The Reserved Seat Tickets booked through this Service in all of these situations are handled as Reserved Seat Tickets held for Members until they are picked up at a Ticket Counter.
When a Member applies a Discount to a purchase, the Company shall bill the Member's Credit Card the amount resulting from the deduction of the amount of Discount from the sales price.
A valid Discount voucher or Special Program Ticket must be presented to the Ticket Counter when picking up Reserved Seat Tickets, to apply Discount or Special Program Ticket.
Please note that even if a Member wishes to apply a Discount or a Special Program Ticket to the purchase price of Reserved Seat Tickets, if (i) a Discount was not applicable for the particular booking; (ii) a Special Program Ticket was not presented at the Ticket Counter; or (iii) a booking was made for the blockout period of the applicable Discount or Special Program Ticket, then Discounts will not be applied, and the full amount will be charged for the Reserved Seat Tickets.
Please note that a fee shall be charged for refunds on booked Reserved Seat Tickets, even if a Member decides not to purchase the tickets because the price deduction with Discounts or Special Program Ticket was not applicable.

Article 8 (Refunds for, Changes to Reserved Seat Tickets in Holding)

Refunds for Reserved Seat Tickets held for Members can be made only if an application for a refund is made on the specified web page by the pick-up deadline stipulated in Article 5, Section 4. The Company will not issue a transaction record slip to Members even if a refund is made to a Credit Card account.
When a refund is made on booked Reserved Seat Tickets held for Members, the refund fees prescribed by the Company and applicable at the time of refund application shall be charged based on the assumption of non-discounted tickets. Such fees shall be charged to the Member's Credit Card in a single payment without the Member's signature regardless of the payment method provided in Article 6. The hours during which such refunds may be made shall be the hours stipulated by the Company separately hereto, and applications for refunds made after the stipulated hours will be processed on the following day.
Details of Reserved Seat Tickets held for Members can only be changed by purchasing new Reserved Seat Tickets and applying for a refund on the already booked tickets. Please note that these applications are subject to deadlines.

Article 9 (Procedures in the Event of a Member's Withdrawal from JR-EAST Shinkansen Reservation Membership)

When a Member ceases to be a member of the Shinkansen Reservation site, all Reserved Seat Tickets held for the Member at that time (if any) shall be deemed subject to application for refund, and all refund charges applicable at that time shall be charged to the Member's Credit Card in a single payment without the Member's signature regardless of the payment method provided in Article 6.

Article 10 (Suspension of Service Provision to Members Due to Violation)

The Company will suspend all provision of the Service to a Member if the Company determines that the Member has violated this Service Agreement.

Article 11 (Changes to the Service Agreement)

The Company reserves the right to change or terminate the Service Agreement at its sole discretion, without prior notice to Members. Once these changes or modifications have become effective, such changes or modifications shall supersede any and all applicable provisions of this Service Agreement previously in effect.

Article 12 (Commencement of the Service Agreement)

This Service Agreement shall be effective from the 25th day of March in the year 2008, Japan Standard Time.