Sykes cottages

angethefirst

It seems across the board with holiday rental accommodation in UK - we booked a large cottage for daughter's bridal shower in April with Cottages.com  It's heartbreaking enough that the June Wedding is up in the air, let alone the Hen (for 13 ladies) being cancelled by the company today - even if we could have safely gone.  We are told our account is being credited with the rental money for use up to  12 months, but this is no good for us as we have no idea right now when to rebook (and any available dates are much more expensive) - meanwhile I can't refund our group who have all contributed.  It's just adding more stress to an already dreadful situation for us.

MrsMK

This company should be ashamed of their practices.

Holiday booked for within next 6 weeks and rightly following Government Advice not allowing you to go to the cottage BUT they will not refund!!!

Disgraceful...they are trying to get you to amend your booking or cancel so that they can keep your money...and if you don’t want to do that then they will keep all your money.

Modern day thieves profiteering from this terrible national emergency.

Be ashamed at steeling people’s hard earned money.

smjxm09

My booking for my Sykes cottage was made via Bookings.com.  The confirmation emails came from Sykes which said via Bookings.com.

Like everyone else I am given the option by Sykes to change dates but if I look into my newly created Sykes account it shows no holiday to amend.   If I go into my Bookings.com account my holiday is there with a cancel for free option.  So can I cancel for free as Booking.com is the agent for Sykes who is the agent for the holiday owner?

sharpe106

smjxm09 said:

My booking for my Sykes cottage was made via Bookings.com.  The confirmation emails came from Sykes which said via Bookings.com.

Like everyone else I am given the option by Sykes to change dates but if I look into my newly created Sykes account it shows no holiday to amend.   If I go into my Bookings.com account my holiday is there with a cancel for free option.  So can I cancel for free as Booking.com is the agent for Sykes who is the agent for the holiday owner?

You booked through booking.com so your contract is with them. Whatever they have arranged with sykes is not your issue. If booking.com said you can cancel for free when you booked it then it is booking.com problem, not yours if they can not cancel it. So you should be able to cancel it. If booking.com refuse then they have misold you it. 

darrenj1

Ive reverted to my credit card company for a dispute. I hope many of you can do the same.

Skippy13

I had 2 weeks booked with Sykes in May which they have cancelled.  I've rearranged one week to the end of September (although I'm now regretting that as who knows what will happen by then?) but I can't rearrange the other one.  I've emailed Sykes requesting a refund which I know they are going to refuse.  I'm not sure whether my travel insurance (through my bank account not Sykes) or credit card would be my next move

mattyprice4004

It's worth bearing in mind they might simply not have enough cash to refund if they've already paid the property owners, and have their own bills to pay. 

Section 75 / Chargeback is likely the best option. 

Skippy13

According to an article by an owner in Cornwall Live the owners are refunding the money to Sykes and they aren't refunding the customers.

Skippy13

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/sykes-holiday-cottages-pocketing-money-3992789

sharpe106

If that is the case I will not see many people using them again in the future.