Welcome Cottages - Punitive Cancellation Policy

connellgrogan

Dear Readers,

i have never written a formal complaint but after my partner booked a cottage for herself and her mum in the lead up to our wedding but later found out it was too far away from the venue (30 miles) and have now been faced with an extortionate cancellation charge of £365 from Welcome Cottages. This is for 4 months notice before the booking date on a property that has practically no space for further bookings between June and Novermber and would most certainly pick up the extra bookings.

The owner at The Coach House - Llanymynech, nr. Oswestry on the website has also apparently refused to accept even in change in the number of days to just the weekend for friends who are coming to our wedding even if it is 30 miles from the venue! We had also offered to book another property nearer the venue to make up some days but this was not acceptable and they seem hell bent of collecting their fee.

My fiance has given a £30 deposit so far for the original booking. Does anyone else think that this is disproportiate? Does anyone have any advice? We need the money for our wedding after all!!!

:mad::mad::mad:

pinkshoes

I am quite sure they should be mitigating their losses, which should be easy if it is in a popular area! You should be expected to pay for any cost in re-letting though.

connellgrogan

Thank you for your response. The property would almost certainly re-let due to its popularity and we would have been prepared to loose our £30 deposit. The problem is the length it was booked for "3 weeks" they have said we can book this one another/other cottages but this is simply not feasible with money concerns and annual leave etc.

£365 to cancel a booking for a property just seems excessive no matter which way you look at it.

London50

Sorry but you should have read ALL the t&cs before booking.It makes no difference at all why you need the money as if it had been in a location that suited then the money would not have been an issue

https://www.welcomecottages.com/legal/booking-conditions

missbiggles1

Why didn't you check where it was before you booked it?

connellgrogan

it also says this in the t&c's and we are giving 4 months notice. Also t&c's should be noted but should also be exposed where disproportionate to the consumer e.g. £365 to cancel a booking. Or recent amendents to amount charged using the phone abroad etc. Welcome cottages t&cs below:

Cancellation charges
Number of days before the start date of your trip that we receive your notice to cancel (or on which you are deemed to have cancelled)
Cancellation charge (plus all booking fees, insurance premiums, credit-card charges or administration fees you owe)
More than 56 days
Full deposit (including any balance of the deposit due)
29 to 56 days
50% of the total cost or full deposit (including any balance of deposit due), whichever is greater.
15 to 28 days
75% of total cost
14 days or less
90% of total cost
On arrival date or later
Total cost

connellgrogan

Yes good point well made! I didnt book it but my fiance did! Not of course that if she reads this i am blaming her! These things happen. Four months notice is quite some notice though to cancel a booking and £365 to cancel a booking quite a lot! Especially when we requested to keep the property and reduce to a weekend and book another cottage with the company for the same weekend.

London50

I would believe that the £30 was a "low deposit" in other words just a hold on the property the £365 is the deposit that {as per the t&cs} are due and as it is on the more than 56 days section that is what is being charged

bod1467

This is said a lot because it is true ... Just because something is in the T&Cs doesn't mean it is fair and can be legally supported. As said in post #2, they can't just claim £365 without being able to support that claim ... and "being in their T&Cs" is not support.

starrystarry

London50 wrote: »

I would believe that the £30 was a "low deposit" in other words just a hold on the property the £365 is the deposit that {as per the t&cs} are due and as it is on the more than 56 days section that is what is being charged

This is probably correct. Welcome often have special offers with low initial deposits, but the T&Cs make it clear that the full deposit is due if you cancel the booking. I booked a week with Welcome recently and the deposit was about £140. That was for a cottage that was only £370 for the week. So I doubt £30 is the full deposit.

ThumbRemote

This is an almost exact copy of the Thomson case last year:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-advice/10662931/Thomson-case-could-spell-end-of-unfair-holiday-cancellation-charges.html


Thomson lost in court and their cancellation policy was found to be unfair. Although the article linked says they were granted leave to appeal, they chose not to.