Travel company refusing refund on gift voucher

MrsP17

Hi, just after a bit of advice really. I purchased a gift voucher for my parents for a very special occasion, their 50th wedding anniversary. It was a voucher for a weekend break to a hotel including dinner and other extras. We bought it in August and we were able to put a start date on the voucher and we chose it to start from 6th Jan 2020. We gave this to my parents on their anniversary and all was good.
Very sadly and unexpected my mother died recently and i contacted the company to ask for a refund and was quite prepared to emit a admin charge from the refund, however they are refusing to offer a refund and instead suggested we give the voucher to someone else. Whilst I can understand that under normal circumstances thus would be acceptable surely the death of a parent warrants exceptional circumstances and a bit of human compassion can be given. The hotel stay has not been booked yet as they were waiting until after Christmas and as I said it doesn’t even start until 6th January so I do not understand why they can’t be of more help. They may well be in their rights under the terms of the purchase but surely they can understand that there is an emotional attachment to this and we cannot simply just give it to someone else when it should have been our mother. I would have thought a gesture of good will would go a long way at this very difficult time.

So before I have to have the hard conversation with my father I would welcome any advice as to what my consumer rights would be.

Thank you

swingaloo

So sorry to hear of your loss.

As for the refund, iIts probably all there in the terms and conditions and some companies will be more flexible than others.

Sadly we had the very same thing happen to us. In our case it was a weekend in a hotel in which my parents had stayed a few times and theatre tickets to 2 shows for them to see.

My mother died November and the hotel was booked for the following May. I rang the hotel to explain and try to get a refund and got exactly the same response as you

I actually got told by the hotel owner that 'Compassion is fine but if we refunded every time we were told someone had died we would be out of business'. Couldn't believe the attitude.

comeandgo

MrsP17 wrote: »

Hi, just after a bit of advice really. I purchased a gift voucher for my parents for a very special occasion, their 50th wedding anniversary. It was a voucher for a weekend break to a hotel including dinner and other extras. We bought it in August and we were able to put a start date on the voucher and we chose it to start from 6th Jan 2020. We gave this to my parents on their anniversary and all was good.
Very sadly and unexpected my mother died recently and i contacted the company to ask for a refund and was quite prepared to emit a admin charge from the refund, however they are refusing to offer a refund and instead suggested we give the voucher to someone else. Whilst I can understand that under normal circumstances thus would be acceptable surely the death of a parent warrants exceptional circumstances and a bit of human compassion can be given. The hotel stay has not been booked yet as they were waiting until after Christmas and as I said it doesn’t even start until 6th January so I do not understand why they can’t be of more help. They may well be in their rights under the terms of the purchase but surely they can understand that there is an emotional attachment to this and we cannot simply just give it to someone else when it should have been our mother. I would have thought a gesture of good will would go a long way at this very difficult time.

So before I have to have the hard conversation with my father I would welcome any advice as to what my consumer rights would be.

Thank you

My condolences but I don't understand why you even need to tell your father anything. Could you not just let him understand it's been taken care of?

MrsP17

I’m, so sorry to hear this as I understand how awful this is. Wow, that really is insensitive I would have been fuming. As I said I understand that companies need to have certain conditions but a bit of human feeling goes a long way. I totally expect our request o be denied and that is their right, but I also have a right to leave a review and I will be doing so.

Thank you for your reply

SevenOfNine

It may well be there in the T&Cs, which means it doesn't prevent you from politely naming & shaming here & anywhere else you see fit to leave a review. As long as you just state facts they have no recourse & it's likely to be the only satisfaction you'll get, sadly

Have you sent a written complaint to the voucher company? I'm afraid you may well have to include a copy of the death certificate though. Speaking to a call centre operative (or in my case a pleb in a travel agents), isn't always high enough up the pecking order.

My condolences.

MrsP17

comeandgo wrote: »

My condolences but I don't understand why you even need to tell your father anything. Could you not just let him understand it's been taken care of?

Thank you for your reply but we have already given my father the voucher as their anniversary was in August. I was hoping to simply cancel the voucher and tell him it had indeed been dealt with. Now I am going to have to ask him what he would like to do with it. I’m not sure he will want to take this voucher at all knowing what it was supposed to be for and I’m not overly happy about giving it to someone else for the exact same reason.

MrsP17

SevenOfNine wrote: »

It may well be there in the T&Cs, which means it doesn't prevent you from politely naming & shaming here & anywhere else you see fit to leave a review. As long as you just state facts they have no recourse & it's likely to be the only satisfaction you'll get, sadly

Have you sent a written complaint to the voucher company? I'm afraid you may well have to include a copy of the death certificate though. Speaking to a call centre operative (or in my case a pleb in a travel agents), isn't always high enough up the pecking order.

My condolences.

Thank you, so far I have spoken to a reservations operative and after I wasn’t happy with their response,I asked to speak to the manager and received a reply from the assistant reservation s manager, who basically told me what I had been told was correct and that the decision had been made by the directors and could not be over turned. I do not believe for one second that they had a conversation with the directors, regarding my request in the time it took them to reply to me. However I am under no illusion that I will get a satisfactory outcome, so I will indeed exercise my right to review this company for the experience I have received.
Thank you again

montyrebel

can he not go with you instead? and you can make new memories together and he can talk about the old ones with you, am sure he would like that

Moglex

MrsP17 wrote: »

Thank you for your reply but we have already given my father the voucher as their anniversary was in August. I was hoping to simply cancel the voucher and tell him it had indeed been dealt with. Now I am going to have to ask him what he would like to do with it. I’m not sure he will want to take this voucher at all knowing what it was supposed to be for and I’m not overly happy about giving it to someone else for the exact same reason.

Perhaps donate it to a charity for an auction?

That might seem like a very positive thing to do.

comeandgo

MrsP17 wrote: »

Thank you for your reply but we have already given my father the voucher as their anniversary was in August. I was hoping to simply cancel the voucher and tell him it had indeed been dealt with. Now I am going to have to ask him what he would like to do with it. I’m not sure he will want to take this voucher at all knowing what it was supposed to be for and I’m not overly happy about giving it to someone else for the exact same reason.

Can you not just let him believe it has been dealt with? Just accept the money is lost and leave him with the voucher?

sheramber

A polite request by letter to th 'top man' may have more success.