Sykes cottages

sharpe106 · 22 March 2020 at 4:28PM

Have a cottage booked with them for the start of the month. Surprisingly will not be going and no surprise they are not offering refunds. Says you can rebook again without fees which is no good for me as the only other week I can go towards end of the year is booked anyway (they are still recharging booking fee again on new date). With the new advice would travel insurance cover this?

Aylesbury_Duck · 22 March 2020 at 5:53PM

You'll have to check your policy, but I suspect it doesn't cover a change of mind cancellation, which is what yours is.

Xendar · 23 March 2020 at 12:47PM

Sorry, I don't agree with Aylesbury_Duck. It is not a change of mind. The below is taken from the BBC News website:

And on Sunday evening, the government issued a further statement, clarifying its advice that "people should avoid travelling unless it is essential".
Essential travel, the Department for Health and Social Care said, "does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays".

Therefore the government has decided for anyone with a booking with Sykes Cottages or any other holiday rental company that they shouldn't go. Holidays are not essential travel.

I'm in a similar situation and received an email from Sykes stating that we could amend our booking but our contract with them does not allow a refund. I think this is disgusting. Amending our booking isn't an option for my family. These are extraordinary times and Sykes should be looking to government for support not putting the onus on their customers. I'm self employed and there's currently no support for me or many others who are self employed. That money would really be useful right now and could possibly to towards us booking another holiday once the pandemic has eased.

Aylesbury_Duck · 23 March 2020 at 1:01PM

Xendar said:

Sorry, I don't agree with Aylesbury_Duck. It is not a change of mind. The below is taken from the BBC News website:
And on Sunday evening, the government issued a further statement, clarifying its advice that "people should avoid travelling unless it is essential".
Essential travel, the Department for Health and Social Care said, "does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays".
Therefore the government has decided for anyone with a booking with Sykes Cottages or any other holiday rental company that they shouldn't go. Holidays are not essential travel.
I'm in a similar situation and received an email from Sykes stating that we could amend our booking but our contract with them does not allow a refund. I think this is disgusting. Amending our booking isn't an option for my family. These are extraordinary times and Sykes should be looking to government for support not putting the onus on their customers. I'm self employed and there's currently no support for me or many others who are self employed. That money would really be useful right now and could possibly to towards us booking another holiday once the pandemic has eased.

It is a change of mind because the government's advice is exactly that - advice. You're correct that the government has said people shouldn't go, but that's not the same as mustn't go.

Until the government expressly forbids OP from travelling to the booked cottage (or until the cottage owners close the cottage), OP can choose to go or not. In those circumstances, I would expect OP's insurer to reject a claim, but it's worth OP talking to their insurer to find out exactly what is and isn't possible.

stulaunch · 23 March 2020 at 5:59PM

So, I have a cottage booked with these for this weekend. I have had the same email, as above, from Sykes. Also, I have had a message from the Owner saying they strongly advise I change my dates. When I just looked at amending the holiday by changing dates, the cheapest price right up until next March is nearly £300 more. Very disappointing. I wonder if I say we are still going to go may change things?

sharpe106 · 23 March 2020 at 6:04PM

I think they have already put the prices up for future dates. It also says you can rebook without moving fees but it still charges you the original booking fee again. So it is all good for sykes cottages as they get double fees. A company I will not bother using again once this over.

janetmac12001 · 23 March 2020 at 6:13PM

I have a Sykes Cottage holiday booked for the end of April, but the owner has just emailed me directly to cancel as they are ill. The travel insurance company used by Sykes say they wont cover it and that it is Skyes responsibility to provide a refund as it wasnt something I cancelled, it was the owner who cancelled the booking. Can't find anything on the Sykes website covering this scenario and cant get through to them to find out what I need to do next. Any suggestions on what my rights are re: a refund and how to get this sorted ?

mattyprice4004 · 23 March 2020 at 7:02PM

janetmac12001 said:

I have a Sykes Cottage holiday booked for the end of April, but the owner has just emailed me directly to cancel as they are ill. The travel insurance company used by Sykes say they wont cover it and that it is Skyes responsibility to provide a refund as it wasnt something I cancelled, it was the owner who cancelled the booking. Can't find anything on the Sykes website covering this scenario and cant get through to them to find out what I need to do next. Any suggestions on what my rights are re: a refund and how to get this sorted ?

Have you contacted Sykes yet?

janetmac12001 · 23 March 2020 at 8:50PM

Couldn't get through on the phone line, so messaged them via FB and Twitter - no reply as yet. I have travel insurance through Sykes so contacted them as well. They said insurance doesnt cover owner cancellation, that's for Sykes to sort out, however insurers said they have been struggling fielding large volumes of calls where Sykes are saying its for the travel insurance to sort out. Sykes FAQs on their website doesnt cover owner cancellations, only the options if we want to amend the booking, but we haven't got any alternative dates as we have no spare leave left.

Misslayed · 23 March 2020 at 8:57PM

Just FYI, my brother has a holiday cottage which he lets through Sykes. They normally receive about 600 calls a day, they are are currently receiving more than 16,000 a day.

Rossie64 · 23 March 2020 at 10:40PM

I have a holiday booked with Sykes for this Friday. After the previous email telling me basically that they are advising people not to go but wouldn’t provide refunds, after tonight’s announcement by Mr Johnson then surely they should provide a refund as we cannot go! I do not want to change my dates because even in September the price is a lot more than we paid. Let’s see what they have to say tomorrow when their offices open.