Coronavirus Travel - UK Holiday Cottage

AJShep

Hello, any advice would be appreciated.  We have paid the deposit for a UK Holiday Cottage booking in August.  The balance is due in May and will automatically come off our credit card. I am wondering if it is better to go ahead and cancel the booking now and lose the deposit or hang on to see what happens and risk losing even more money. Having read the terms and conditions, I reckon it will be difficult to get more than a rebooking from the Company (not sure that will work for us) and I may have to pay extra for the privilege. Any advice would be much appreciated, Thank you 😊

Aylesbury_Duck

It can only be your choice.  Forfeit what you've paid and cap your loss, or spend more in the hope you'll get the holiday, credit or perhaps eventually, a full refund.  Only you know what's affordable and riskable. 

RTF

Hi, We are in a fairly similar situation. We've booked a holiday cottage in Devon from 17 to 24 July 2020. We've paid £442 deposit with a further £968 due in a few days time.  Our holiday party comprises grandparents, my wife and I, and our 12 year old son - but this is TWO separate households, currently requiring to socially distance until up to the 4th of July (perhaps beyond).  HOWEVER in addition we are all in the slightly vulnerable COVID-19 group due to either old age, asthma, or health conditions.  This includes our son who last year Sep suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and had surgery to fit an ICD unit to his heart.  The NHS says he is not imunocompromised from this, so is not in the highly vulnerable group - but who on this earth having had our harrowing experience would take their son on a holiday at this time.  Legally of course the position is clear, we have to pay the remaining £968 amount, but this is not reasonable in these mad times.  We have asked the holiday to consider either keeping our deposit and we both call call it quits, or to keep our deposit and kindly re-book our holiday for next year.  Unsurprisingly they have rejected both our offers and are demanding the remaining £968.  Interested to hear from anyone else deciding not to pay.