First Choice - low deposit offer - becomes a large deposit when you cancel

Anthem_2

Hi All,
I booked a summer holiday for the family leaving in July and paid a 50 pound deposit per person. The next payment on the schedule is due this weekend but wife and I decided we'd rather cancel and lose our deposit rather than pay the next chunk of money given the current situation. However When i go online and manage my booking, select cancel - i'm told another 600 is due as the actual deposit is 800 not the 200 i've paid so far. This is not made clear at the time of booking..they just make clear hey you've booked a holiday and only have to pay 50  pounds each for now...
Even at the time of cancellation they don't make it clear - "cancel more than 70 days before departure and you only lose your deposit" which you assume is what you've already paid...
i'm not very happy about this and don't want first choice chasing me for money they believe they're owed due to something buried in the T&Cs - which btw again don't make clear what an actual deposit is - it just says that the low deposit offer can be withdrawn at any time.

Westin

Many are probably facing this issue unfortunately. 
The low-deposit offer is however well published and terms given.

Aylesbury_Duck

Go back to your original booking confirmation.  I suspect it contains clear guidance on the low-deposit offer which you would have agreed to when placing the booking.

bradders1983

Another vote here for "read what you agreed to", this has cropped up about 10 times on here in the last fortnight or so.

bradders1983

https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/low-deposit

" If you book using the low deposit scheme and then cancel your holiday, the remaining deposit balance will be due on cancellation"

They really couldnt make it any clearer.

And yes I know that isnt First Choice but they are part of TUI and its the same scheme.

Anthem_2

thanks for your replies all. You're right i should have read what i agreed to, however I do maintain it could be a great deal clearer. Nowhere did it say you're paying x now but the actual deposit is y and y is what you'll owe if you cancel... 

soolin

Anthem_2 said:

thanks for your replies all. You're right i should have read what i agreed to, however I do maintain it could be a great deal clearer. Nowhere did it say you're paying x now but the actual deposit is y and y is what you'll owe if you cancel... 

On the very first page it states clearly “

If you book using the low deposit scheme and then cancel your holiday, the remaining deposit balance will be due on cancellation. Deposits are not available on holidays departing within 12 weeks of departure date.” 

I’m really not sure how they can make that clearer? 

Aylesbury_Duck

Anthem_2 said:

thanks for your replies all. You're right i should have read what i agreed to, however I do maintain it could be a great deal clearer. Nowhere did it say you're paying x now but the actual deposit is y and y is what you'll owe if you cancel... 

If it genuinely didn't say that anywhere at all, you have a case.  Time to dig out your paperwork, email confirmation, etc.  

Happy_Dayz

We're in a similar situation with Tui. Our holiday to Spain is 28th July and next payment is due on 5th April and final payment on 5th May. But we really don't want to risk taking our young grandchildren to one of the most COVID-19 affected countries in the world so would like to cancel the holiday now.
So what happens if we just don't pay the remaining instalments? In the current unfolding situation what is the likelihood that Tui would pursue it?

SSBS1969

You are right.  It is not made clear enough.  We are in the same boat.  I always read things very thoroughly and did not see that the next "instalment" was actually the rest of the deposit.  On the confirmation of the holiday, it says that we have paid under the low deposit scheme in very small print, but it does not explain what this means or how the deposit is broken down.  

[Deleted User]

Happy_Dayz said:

So what happens if we just don't pay the remaining instalments? In the current unfolding situation what is the likelihood that Tui would pursue it?

In the current unfolding situation, I would say almost certainly.  They're not in a position to be giving away money at the present time.