Daughter withdrew from holiday but person who booked it dragging feet over refund

questionss

I'm using hypothetical figures/scenarios but consider Ann's possible position...
Holiday booked for a group of 4 costing 2000 based on 2 people per room... She only has 3 people & its later in the year, all of a sudden it's 2000 between 3 or she pays an admin charge to try and change one name. So she holds off hoping to get an alternative companion. Her other option is to cancel the whole booking getting only a partial return and leaving 3 people money down & without a holiday... I'm sorry to hear of your daughters MH issues, if she's officially diagnosed & declared them to her insurer she may be able to get a refund from them if she has a doctors note to back her up. She won't get s refund for standard "changed mind" though

leylandsunaddict

phebe3 wrote: »

Re the refund and Thos Cook not discussing it, it is ON THE WEBSITE ....I also checked and she is correct. She phoned to see if there was anything she could do re the cancellation herself but Thos Cook's hands are tied as it is the law that the lead person sorts it out. My daughter is a bright girl and was aware of this, which is why she told Ann in writing she didn't feel able to go any longer on 17 May, and several times since.

The cancellation terms and conditions are on their website, but it doesn't give any indication of how much a re-costing would be for a part cancellation. When someone drops out of a package, TC re-cost the booking based on the numbers left on. It may or may not incur single/under occupancy supplements based on those numbers. Without TC re-costing that booking no one knows how much would be applicable to be refunded.

photome

phebe3 wrote: »

Oh my goodness.never thought of the freebie option. No, she is a year behind (due to MH issues etc ) so has just finished A levels. Thank you for replying with your options, think we are going to have to wait and see and perhaps persue through Small Claims Court. It is the principle for me....it's no skin off Ann's nose to do this, it's a simple phone call and she had to do it last year (similar sort of thing....another girl fell out big time. We did tell daughter not to trust her etc but sometimes you can't tell people and it's no use harkin on the "I told you so" line now. Just seems a shame she won't get ANY of her money back, not even a small proportion.
(she has paid the full amount of the holiday now)
A lesson will have been learned...and a spare place is available on a flight to Malia and a hotel bed............

You have mentioned small claims a couple of times, but as others have pointed out there may be nothing to claim.

If the cost goes up for the remaining people then that should be covered by your daughters payments not passed on to the rest.

Do you know what the cost would be for the ones still going after your daughter has pulled out.

I also didn't think you have answered the possibility of your daughter claiming on insurance.

Again on the issue of small claims, they may say it is an insurance issue

Andypandyboy

I think it is clear that the OP's daughter did not have travel insurance and/or if she did she had not disclosed a pre existing condition. It is a common mistake amongst groups of youngsters travelling for the first time - they buy insurance just before they travel. if at all. When mine booked holidays we almost stood over them till they got the message that no insurance meant no holiday ( as we wouldn't contribute to spending money)

stephb34

Think we should have a little bit of sympathy here. This lady is just worried about her daughter, as we all do and some young girls are nasty pieces of work. They have gone the right way about it asking lead passenger to go to travel agents to see what would happen if 1 cancels off. At no point has mum said they would leave the others out of pocket but its very unfair lead passenger refusing to deal with it. Have had experiences of many nasty lead passengers its very sad they can do what they do. I don't think many people on booking holidays realise how much power the lead has. Cancelling them off bookings when they fall out, name changes when passenger still wants to go.

bigadaj

We are only getting one side of the story though.

Being a lead member of the group can similarly be a pain, taking on Liability and potentially costs on the basis that someone decides they want to drop out because they've changed their mind and then doesn't want to lose a deposit or pay cancellation fees.

Mental health issues are a separate issue but if they exist and need to be considered then they also have an affect on that persons actions and responsibilities.

I can't see this getting too far in the small claims report if it is defended, there are likely to be additional costs in one member of a group dropping out of a holiday booking and these need to be paid for by someone.

The signed contract needs to be examined and the exact cost and nature of these charges needs to be determined.

phebe3

stephb34 has hit the nail on the head...the main issue for me is the fact that Ann is being so immature and vindictive over it all...my daughter was resigned to the fact that it is her decision to to go on holiday, and that she would be out of pocket...although not to the extent that she will be now as Ann did not put in the cancellation in time (this happened last year with another girl..exactly the same but the cancellation was put through in time and she got a partial refund. A lot of people would not able to face going on holiday with a bunch of girls who are under the thrall of one who has turned very much against them, and would not want to be on holiday away from family and home, with nasty, spiteful comments and "banter" as they call it directed against them 24/7...MH issues aside I don't think anyone would be particularly interested in going on holiday with this all going on...and it has been going on for quite a while now.

What I am unfortunately suprised at is how much power the lead has on a holiday (and I suppose anything...university bills etc) as we have never come across people like this before...my other daughters have been on holidays, and lived in accomodation and there has never been any trouble...perhaps they are better judges of character. Lesson learned and fingers burned....and folks...be very wary of group contracts.

My daughter does have travel insurance, I wouldn't have let her book without it. However, it doesn't cover "not being able to go because I am being bullied" and she knows this and asked to cancel her place in the full knowledge she couldn't claim her money back on the insurance. I did suggest she went anyway but I am not her and I am not in her group . I certainly wouldn't want to go on holiday with people who were making me very unhappy, both face to face and in the virtual world (although the latter you are able to, and she has,blocked)

Re the small claims etc..we shall see. I have no idea how my daughter can even see the contract, not being the lead person. Technically Ann is withholding monies which belong to my daughter..and not much as it's so late in the day so she would have to pay for the majority of the holiday. She has spoken to Thos Cook and there would be some due to her if cancelled in time. She would pay for any supplements/cost of cancellation...she knows all this and accepts it, she isn't stupid. There were 7 of them going so there was a premium being paid for the 7th anyway. She has been asking to cancel her place since May 17th and Ann just wouldn't do it. This just seems so wrong, let alone the financial side of it.

Thanks to those of you who have offered positive advise and help.

FBaby

7 are going, only one not happy with the plans after booking, but one is controlling, immature and vindictive and the other 5 are just going along with it because they are weak? mmm.... sounds to me like you are getting way too emotionally involved in what is teenage girls' silliness. As you've said, you told your DD not to do it and she refused your advice, so what else is this but a lesson for your DD?

fairy_lights

How much was the deposit?
I think you might just need to accept that your daughter is unlikely to get anything back and chalk it up to experience. Yes you could continue to pursue it with Ann and her mother, consider taking it to small claims etc, but is it really going to be worth it? As your daughter is already suffering from an anxiety disorder the stress and damage to her friendships could outweigh any benefit from getting the money back.

roddydogs

Yes, please tell us the amount involved!