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Should I pay the balance for our holiday?


ilovemyheckler
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We have a 10 day holiday booked for 16th May in a cottage in Scotland

we paid a deposit of £300 when we booked in October last year and are due to pay the balance (about £860) by 26th April

I contacted the owner and she said that as there was no official notice not to travel we have to pay the balance and if we don't the holiday will be cancelled and our deposit lost.

This was to be our 10th visit to the cottage and we have another booked for later in the year and she won't let us use the deposit towards the balance of our next visit.

I suspect that by 26th April we will still not know and even if there is some sort of reduced lockdown I am not sure we want to go so soon

So my question is should I pay the balance by the 26th and hope to get a full refund if lockdown is still in place or should I "bite the bullet" and lose the deposit?

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Well there is official notice atm as you know. She's probably ******** it as its a second mortgage and obviously has to pay the bills with zero income atm. 

Id be tempted to cancel both with that attitude and get the money back from the bank somehow. If it gets dirty, get on face ache, trip advisor ect ect and let rip. 

On another note, I reckon everywhere will be empty out after all this is done, people will be skint and you might find a bargain 

Edited by strimmer_13
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5 minutes ago, ilovemyheckler said:

We have a 10 day holiday booked for 16th May in a cottage in Scotland

we paid a deposit of £300 when we booked in October last year and are due to pay the balance (about £860) by 26th April

I contacted the owner and she said that as there was no official notice not to travel we have to pay the balance and if we don't the holiday will be cancelled and our deposit lost.

This was to be our 10th visit to the cottage and we have another booked for later in the year and she won't let us use the deposit towards the balance of our next visit.

I suspect that by 26th April we will still not know and even if there is some sort of reduced lockdown I am not sure we want to go so soon

So my question is should I pay the balance by the 26th and hope to get a full refund if lockdown is still in place or should I "bite the bullet" and lose the deposit?

hello, what !!!!! you have been going there that often and she will not refund, i cannot see this lockdown finish any time soon and would you get stopped and turned back if you went like Wales, or North of England, how did you pay ? hope you get sorted but i would never never go again

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Most accommodation providers are ‘carrying over’ deposits and bookings. Example - we had a hotel booked for a relative’s wedding in June. The wedding has been put forward a year due to uncertainty re Covid 19 and the hotel have moved our booking accordingly.

There has to be some ‘give and take’ where we all try to help each other out. I would say your provider is too severely on the take here. Negotiate hard by demanding your deposit back - as they can not guarantee a holiday currently. Perhaps then a middle ground settlement of a new holiday date. Good luck!

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17 minutes ago, JDog said:

Just ask for your money back and post negative comments on social media if you don't get it.

Loyalty counts for nothing it seems.

 

I would message her and say "We have stayed with you for the last 10 years ... is it really worth losing us for the next 10 years over £300?" 

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There may not be 100% travel restrictions, but all holiday accommodation is closed; there are coppers walking the beat on empty streets ( ironic or what?) in the Lakes making inquiries at hotels and B&B’s regarding guests they may have. I suggest you point this out to your host.

You could ask if you can transfer your stay to next year, and then pay the remainder, but this years holidays are almost guaranteed to be a non event. She must know that surely. 

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3 minutes ago, Scully said:

There may not be 100% travel restrictions, but all holiday accommodation is closed; there are coppers walking the beat on empty streets ( ironic or what?) in the Lakes making inquiries at hotels and B&B’s regarding guests they may have. I suggest you point this out to your host.

You could ask if you can transfer your stay to next year, and then pay the remainder, but this years holidays are almost guaranteed to be a non event. She must know that surely. 

This is what I'd do. It's a nice compromise between not paying and then having to fight to get the deposit back and ruining the chance of going back to a place you love in the future and paying up and hoping it'll be alright - when it clearly won't be. 

If she values your custom, she should be happy to do it. This is what we've been offering people who want to stay in our N. Wales cottage. We've given them two options: Cancelling outright with their deposit returned, or we keep the deposit and they get first crack at any dates they want next year and at this year's rates.

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Just now, chrisjpainter said:

This is what I'd do. It's a nice compromise between not paying and then having to fight to get the deposit back and ruining the chance of going back to a place you love in the future and paying up and hoping it'll be alright - when it clearly won't be. 

If she values your custom, she should be happy to do it. This is what we've been offering people who want to stay in our N. Wales cottage. We've given them two options: Cancelling outright with their deposit returned, or we keep the deposit and they get first crack at any dates they want next year and at this year's rates.

Good for you; makes good sense all round I’d say. 

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4 minutes ago, Scully said:

Good for you; makes good sense all round I’d say. 

Yeah it's a good system. Ultimately it is a business and about filling up the weeks. How do you fill up the weeks? By getting people to want to stay there once, then wanting to come back. Keep the returners happy and you're guaranteed a very positive guest book, then more people want to come and they want to come back and so weeks get filled. Turning regulars off is about the silliest thing you can do with a holiday cottage!

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8 minutes ago, bigbird said:

We have the same quandary!! We paid a deposit for a holiday to Jamaica in August with Tui paid a couple of ks off it and the final payment is due 24th May. We don’t know what to do!

If you don't pay it will you have broken your contract with the firm?

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18 minutes ago, chrisjpainter said:

Yeah it's a good system. Ultimately it is a business and about filling up the weeks. How do you fill up the weeks? By getting people to want to stay there once, then wanting to come back. Keep the returners happy and you're guaranteed a very positive guest book, then more people want to come and they want to come back and so weeks get filled. Turning regulars off is about the silliest thing you can do with a holiday cottage!

Yes. OH’s parents have a holiday let. It’s closed presently but there are still people enquiring for when all this is over. Many are regulars as word gets around, and peeing off folk is bad for business. 

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Similar situation 

I've been saving to pay off my holiday to jamaica in October, balance has to be payed by mid July. Problem is I can't get hold of anyone from tui. They say they will contact folks who are flying within the next 6 weeks after that I havnt a clue. If I don't pay I will lose my 1200 deposit but I haven't a website or manned phone number 

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2 hours ago, ilovemyheckler said:

We have a 10 day holiday booked for 16th May in a cottage in Scotland

we paid a deposit of £300 when we booked in October last year and are due to pay the balance (about £860) by 26th April

I contacted the owner and she said that as there was no official notice not to travel we have to pay the balance and if we don't the holiday will be cancelled and our deposit lost.

This was to be our 10th visit to the cottage and we have another booked for later in the year and she won't let us use the deposit towards the balance of our next visit.

I suspect that by 26th April we will still not know and even if there is some sort of reduced lockdown I am not sure we want to go so soon

So my question is should I pay the balance by the 26th and hope to get a full refund if lockdown is still in place or should I "bite the bullet" and lose the deposit?

It's a chance of losing £300 or losing £1160. If she won't return the £300 in good faith after you have been going 10 years what's the chance of getting the lot back if you pay it all. Try negotiating with her, but it might be better to write £300 off than the lot. 

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As a holiday accommodation provider these times are extremely difficult as they are for so many. I expect a hell of lot of shops, pubs, restaurants and accommodation providers here in Cornwall will not have a business with the potential of losing their homes as well if this carries on through the summer.

As for deposits, we are offering to move any deposit to another booking free of charge up to July 1st 2021. Thankfully most guests are doing this, I would hate to start refusing deposits back to guests. Our terms and conditions clearly state deposits are non refundable. The deposits we have received have mostly been spent on improving the accommodation we provide and other work on the site we have done over the winter when we don’t earn anything, but still have to pay bills and wages. If everyone wanted their deposit back we would be bankrupt within the week. 

I am surprised that as a loyal customer they will not transfer the money. You might have to wait until there is something from the government to cover your dates. As it stands your holiday has not been cancelled so why should they refund? 

Make sure you pay any deposits or balances by credit card and make sure you have travel insurance even though in this case it probably won’t help. 

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2 hours ago, ilovemyheckler said:

We have a 10 day holiday booked for 16th May in a cottage in Scotland

we paid a deposit of £300 when we booked in October last year and are due to pay the balance (about £860) by 26th April

I contacted the owner and she said that as there was no official notice not to travel we have to pay the balance and if we don't the holiday will be cancelled and our deposit lost.

This was to be our 10th visit to the cottage and we have another booked for later in the year and she won't let us use the deposit towards the balance of our next visit.

I suspect that by 26th April we will still not know and even if there is some sort of reduced lockdown I am not sure we want to go so soon

So my question is should I pay the balance by the 26th and hope to get a full refund if lockdown is still in place or should I "bite the bullet" and lose the deposit?

The the regulations passed by parliament are what you need to quote as they do not include holiday travel as a excuse for traveling.

 

Given we are 3 weeks behind Italy and they are looking at end of the month to review restrictions it is very unlikely we will see ours lifted before end oh may, realistically end of June if all goes to plan and no complications.

 

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1 minute ago, Stonepark said:

The the regulations passed by parliament are what you need to quote as they do not include holiday travel as a excuse for traveling.

 

Given we are 3 weeks behind Italy and they are looking at end of the month to review restrictions it is very unlikely we will see ours lifted before end oh may, realistically end of June if all goes to plan and no complications.

 

The thing is until they review and include the holiday dates the holiday still stands. 

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I'm in the same situation with a UK holiday, have the balance to pay or lose it. No refund offered, as they are not cancelling the holiday. If I cancel I loose deposit. If I pay and cant go I'm only entitled to a 50% refund at best. If they cant resell the holiday I loose everything. 

Eventually I'll make the cancel decision and forfeit my deposit. But am seriously thinking of perusing it through the small claims court as currently that will only cost me an extra £10.

17 minutes ago, rimfire4969 said:

 As it stands your holiday has not been cancelled so why should they refund? 

 

That's disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourself. You know full well the restrictions are likely to last for months yet.

 

8 minutes ago, rimfire4969 said:

The thing is until they review and include the holiday dates the holiday still stands. 

...and you'll not help out, why? Money grabbing and taking advantage of others misfortunes. You profiteering people are no worse than looters. Your poor attitude towards others now will reflect on you adversely when this is ove. You're no better than the shops selling bog roll for £12 a roll.

Edited by Centrepin
I hate proffertering scum!
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26 minutes ago, Centrepin said:

I'm in the same situation with a UK holiday, have the balance to pay or lose it. No refund offered, as they are not cancelling the holiday. If I cancel I loose deposit. If I pay and cant go I'm only entitled to a 50% refund at best. If they cant resell the holiday I loose everything. 

Eventually I'll make the cancel decision and forfeit my deposit. But am seriously thinking of perusing it through the small claims court as currently that will only cost me an extra £10.

That's disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourself. You know full well the restrictions are likely to last for months yet.

 

...and you'll not help out, why? Money grabbing and taking advantage of others misfortunes. You profiteering people are no worse than looters. Your poor attitude towards others now will reflect on you adversely when this is ove. You're no better than the shops selling bog roll for £12 a roll.

I think you should wind your neck in a bit. If you read above you will see what I am doing for my customers and certainly not profiteering. When the government includes your travel dates in the no travel guidelines your holiday provider can and should offer you some more choices. If you cancel before that happens it’s up to you and as per their terms and conditions I guess no refund. Pay by credit card and get some cover. 
 

I am just giving you the guidelines that businesses such as mine have been given. 
 

Because of this virus I stand to lose my family business which makes us all unemployed as well as losing our home. My wife and 3 kids plus my mum and dad will be homeless.

I am trying to give you a different perspective on the whole thing. There is no need to shoot the messenger! 

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