Policies

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

As an international society registered in British Columbia, PMBIA is committed and guided by the principles set out in the British Columbia Human Rights Code. PMBIA is committed to foster a society in which there are no impediments to full and free participation in sport, to promote a climate of understanding and mutual respect where all are equal in dignity and rights, and to prevent discrimination under the Human Rights Code.


COURSE ASSESSMENTS

All PMBIA Courses include a teaching and riding assessment. Please ensure you make yourself familiar with the riding and teaching standards, as well as the pre-requisites before registering. Further information on these standards can be found on this website and through the PMBIA Course Materials.

Refunds will not be offered, should participants prove unsuccessful in meeting the required standards of a certification course.

Every PMBIA Instructor Trainer has the full confidence of the PMBIA to consistently and accurately assess candidates on any course, at any location. All course assessments are final and should be respected, given the extensive and ongoing, professional training and experience held by each and every PMBIA Instructor Trainer.


BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

If you are travelling to a course, please do NOT make any travel arrangements, before the course is confirmed. The PMBIA will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by the participant. PMBIA courses require minimum numbers to run and while most courses do run, some do not. Simply registering for a course is not a confirmation that the course will ultimately run. You will be contacted at minimum 2 weeks prior to the start of the course if registration numbers are looking low. Feel free to contact us at any time if you are concerned about this. In the rare event a course does not confirm due to insufficient numbers, a transfer to another course or a full refund will be offered.

  • Full payment is due upon registration for the PMBIA course.

  • Cancellations made 15 days or more prior to the start date of the PMBIA course will be offered a 50% refund. Cancellations within 14 days of the PMBIA course start date will not be offered any refund.

  • All participants will be required to fill in a Release of Liability waiver before beginning the PMBIA course.

  • PMBIA reserves the right to cancel activities due to inclement weather, insufficient bookings or for any events beyond our control. Alternate dates will be arranged in these cases, or a full refund will be provided.

Registration Modification Policy

Where and when possible, if there are any changes or modifications made to a course registration 15 days or more prior to the start date of the event, a 15% administration fee will be applied. Changing an event in this manner will make your registration non-refundable, and changes must take place in a calendar year.


NON-ATTENDANCE

Non-attendance does not constitute a formal withdrawal. Non-attendance results in 100% loss of payment.


INJURY & ILLNESS

Please contact us as soon as possible before the start of the course if you think you will not be able to attend due to injury or illness at info@pmbia.bike. Only by contacting the PMBIA office prior to the start of the course, and by providing a doctor’s note within 5 business days of contacting us, will you be eligible for a 50% refund.

The PMBIA Team strongly recommend that if you’ve paid your money and signed up for a PMBIA course, you should be taking it easy and making smart decisions so you can reduce the likelihood of becoming injured or ill, before the course. It is your responsibility to make sure you are healthy and ready to participate.

PMBIA courses require minimum numbers to run. They also require many logistics, including trail permits for specific dates, detailed scheduling, travel and accommodation of course staff, and are confirmed two weeks prior to the start date. It is for these reasons this refund-injury policy exists to ensure the not-for-profit PMBIA and it’s course participants, do not suffer from last minute cancellations.


COMPLAINTS POLICY

The PMBIA is committed to the highest standards of practice in our work. We value any feedback, enquiries or complaints from the public or our members as we continuously strive to improve our training resources, courses and industry services. Our complaints process is guided by the following principles:

Accessible: The PMBIA complaints process is publicly available on our website, and members and non-members are informed of their right to complain about our organization. Any enquiries, feedback or complaints should be sent to our admin team at info@pmbia.bike.

Fair: All complaints will be handled in a manner that is impartial and fair. Our process provides the opportunity for anyone to submit relevant information and have an opportunity to be heard before the review of the complaint is finalized. We thoroughly and objectively review the complaints we receive, and are committed to keeping people informed of the progress of their complaint. The PMBIA Executive Director is responsible for reviewing and conducting investigations of complaints that are not resolved by the Admin Staff. If a complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the person raising the concerns following investigation, further internal review may be conducted by the PMBIA Board of Directors and/or the Technical Directors (if applicable).

Person-Focused: We recognize that people have different needs, and each person has their own unique history that they bring to the interaction with our agency. We commit to listen to our members and non-members' concerns, treat them with dignity and respect, and maintain confidentiality throughout the complaints process.

Responsive: We will respond to complaints within 7 business days, and will seek to resolve the complaint at the earliest opportunity. Complaints that cannot be resolved at first contact, or those that raise more serious concerns about our organization, will be forwarded for further review/investigation. The PMBIA is committed to these time frames and will inform our service users of the progress of their complaint and reasons for any delay in the complaint resolution process.


PRIVACY POLICY

The Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association (PMBIA) collects only the personal information required to administer its certification courses, training programs, memberships, and related operations.

This information may include contact details, certification records, course registrations, payment information, and other details necessary to deliver and manage PMBIA programs.

All personal information is stored securely and accessed only by PMBIA staff, contractors, and service providers who require it to support the delivery and administration of courses and training.

PMBIA does not sell, trade, or share personal information with third parties outside of those directly involved in PMBIA operations, except where required by law.

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to meet operational, legal, and certification requirements.