Holiday cancellation / Distance selling

Chappers27

Just cancelled a holiday booking with Hoseasons. I paid a 'low deposit' of £100. I cancelled because of a mix up with summer holiday availability with our son. I was perfectly willing to let £100 deposit go when I cancelled. It's fine to lose a deposit. But then they said there's an extra cancellation fee of £150 to make it up to £250 (this is 25% of the entire holiday amount).

Their terms and conditions do state this. But surely this is in contravention of distance selling regulations. I cancelled within 14 days so I should have a cooling off period. Do the 14 days cooling off period not apply to holiday / agent bookings?

Chappers27

OK, just found this on ABTA.


I want to cancel my recent booking. Is there a cooling off period?

No, there isn't a cooling off period. This is because the Distance Selling Regulations (DSR) don’t apply with regards to package travel holidays and other holiday bookings.

Just great. UK consumers must be the most ripped off people on the planet.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Chappers27 wrote: »

Just cancelled a holiday booking with Hoseasons. I paid a 'low deposit' of £100. I cancelled because of a mix up with summer holiday availability with our son. I was perfectly willing to let £100 deposit go when I cancelled. It's fine to lose a deposit. But then they said there's an extra cancellation fee of £150 to make it up to £250 (this is 25% of the entire holiday amount).

Their terms and conditions do state this. But surely this is in contravention of distance selling regulations. I cancelled within 14 days so I should have a cooling off period. Do the 14 days cooling off period not apply to holiday / agent bookings?

You (and they) are correct the right to cancel doesn't apply but ask them for a breakdown of their costs.

They can impose a charge for actual costs/loses but anything else would be classed as a penalty as far as I know.

Ectophile

Chappers27 wrote: »

Just great. UK consumers must be the most ripped off people on the planet.

Have you ever thought of looking at it from the seller's point-of-view?

stragglebod

Chappers27 wrote: »

Just great. UK consumers must be the most ripped off people on the planet.

You're kidding us, right? The UK has some of the most customer-friendly consumer legislation on the planet.


Good luck asking for a cooling off period or credit card chargeback in most non-EU states

Aylesbury_Duck

Chappers27 wrote: »

Just great. UK consumers must be the most ripped off people on the planet.

Just great. UK consumers must be the most fickle people on the planet. Can’t make their minds up and expect businesses to pay for their indecisiveness and mistakes.

Mrsn

Low deposit schemes such as £100 upfront payment usually expect you to then top up to what a full deposit should be and £250 seems about the right sort of amount in that situation. By all means ask for a breakdown but I suspect that is what has happened in this instance

mattyprice4004

Oh yay, another ‘I messed up but it must be someone else’s fault’ thread

We all make mistakes, I’ve made much worse and just had to suck it up. Now I triple check before hitting the button!