Travel Republic - Issue with cancellation

aporia

Good Afternoon,

I am wondering if I can get some advice regarding an issue my parents are having with Travel Republic.

They booked a holiday online on the 19th July, and paid by credit card. Within 30 minutes, a member of Travel Republic staff called and stated that the accommodation booked was not available, so they would have to travel to a different hotel at a higher cost. My Dad then asked them to cancel the booking. He was told no problem.

At NO point did they tell him the flights were non-refundable.

Today the credit card bill has come in, showing the initial payment but less than half of that amount refunded. Without the bill, we would never have been aware that the flight component of the booking was still live. I spoke to a representative a short while ago, and it was only then that we were informed the flights are 100% non-refundable.

Is this actually legal for them to do, when at no point during the initial call were they informed of this policy? I think it is an incredibly underhand way to treat customers, and as it currently stands my parents are having to pay for a component of a holiday that Travel Republic sold on the basis of a hotel being available, when it in fact wasn't.

If anyone could give me any advice on whether they are able to claim this money back, I would be incredibly grateful.

Best Regards,

aporia

balletshoes

i suspect the fact that the flights were non-refundable would have been on the description of those flights when your Dad booked them online.

aporia

Thank you for your quick response balletshoes. I am fairly certain you have hit the nail on the head there. Sadly I think this is going to cost them a lot of money, when really it shouldn't, as the holiday they booked was never available in the first place.

balletshoes

aporia wrote: »

Thank you for your quick response balletshoes. I am fairly certain you have hit the nail on the head there. Sadly I think this is going to cost them a lot of money, when really it shouldn't, as the holiday they booked was never available in the first place.

can they not just book another hotel/apartment and transfers separately from their flights?

jpsartre

It's all in their T&C. Every part of the "package" is a separetely booked element so the cancellation of one thing has no impact on the other. As balletshoes suggests, they should book a new hotel elsewhere.

Alan_Bowen

I wish we could explain the difference between buying a package holiday when you get lost of rights and buying separate elements that virtually everyone here on this website says saves you money. It may do, but you need to understand the potential pitfalls of buying bits of a holiday, if one part fails. you are still left with half a holiday or a big financial loss. It really is a case of 'buyer beware'

sandsy

aporia wrote: »

Thank you for your quick response balletshoes. I am fairly certain you have hit the nail on the head there. Sadly I think this is going to cost them a lot of money, when really it shouldn't, as the holiday they booked was never available in the first place.

The problem is that they didn't buy a holiday. They bought flights and accommodation which were both subject to availability.

Best way around this is to make a new accommodation reservation.

jimmyR1

I booked & paid in full ( Via Paypal) for our holiday to Egypt with Travel Republic on the 25/07/14 which included Flights , Hotel , Transfers + a organized excursion (Quad Biking) departing on the 09/08/14 for 14 nights ..however I received a voicemail telling me to log on to my booking there is a Major change to my booking three days before (06/08/14) They told me there is a misprice & they are changing my Hotel of equal standard (not according to tripadvisor it wasn't) or I could cancel (not the Flights the transfers or excursions I may have booked)
or pay the extra monies required to stay in the Hotel I had already paid for in full. under protest & several phone calls to travel republic and price negotiations I had to pay £456.00 extra I am trying to claim this money back through Paypal at this time of writing .I will never use Travel republic again. It seems that they can do whatever they like under their T & C's .I will post an outcome soon .I would like to let other people know the pitfalls of booking a holiday with agents even if they are Atol & Abta Bonded Like travel republic are ..you basically have no rights as a consumer unless it is sold as " A package Holiday " comments welcome thankyou

Alan_Bowen

See my reply above, this happens time and time again. If you don't understand what you are doing stop and ask, before booking