Holiday company refusing to cancel and asking us to cancel

Hellosal

We are due to go on our honeymoon next week but as the FCO has adviced against travel the tour company can not provide us with this trip. They asked us to wait until 2 weeks before departure to ask for a refund. We called 2 weeks before and then asked us to write an email asking to cancel and they could offer us a refund credit voucher. We don't feel comfortable cancelling because we wouldn't then be protected by ABTA, credit card or insurance. Although now our insurance company are saying they will not cover if the FCO has advised against travel! Our credit card team is happy to dispute this but can take more than 60 days and is not guaranteed. Our holiday is on Tuesday but do we ask for the holiday to be cancelled, risk the company saying we breached contract and throw away our protection with the credit card. Or do we not cancel, dispute with the credit card and risk that not been guaranteed as well. 

Mrsn

Yes you need them to cancel it as far as I’m aware. You might be better asking this in the travel board, they are super helpful and very knowledgeable.

daveyjp

Lodge a complaint about the company through Competition and Markets Authority website.

Don't accept any sort of voucher.  Some may be protected, some certainly aren't.  Once uncertainty comes into play it will be the company that will use it against customers, just as they are with refunds.

Press for a full refund which is what you are entitled to.

Hellosal

We are due to go on our honeymoon next week but as the FCO has adviced against travel the tour company can not provide us with this trip. They asked us to wait until 2 weeks before departure to ask for a refund. We called 2 weeks before and then asked us to write an email asking to cancel and they could offer us a refund credit voucher. We don't feel comfortable cancelling because we wouldn't then be protected by ABTA, credit card or insurance. Although now our insurance company are saying they will not cover if the FCO has advised against travel! Our credit card team is happy to dispute this but can take more than 60 days and is not guaranteed. Our holiday is on Tuesday but do we ask for the holiday to be cancelled, risk the company saying we breached contract and throw away our protection with the credit card. Or do we not cancel, dispute with the credit card and risk that not been guaranteed as well. 

Life__Goes__On

Can you name and shame your tour company, they are clearly trying to trick you into cancelling.
The advice about  complaining is spot on.

Undervalued

Hellosal said:

We are due to go on our honeymoon next week but as the FCO has adviced against travel the tour company can not provide us with this trip. They asked us to wait until 2 weeks before departure to ask for a refund. We called 2 weeks before and then asked us to write an email asking to cancel and they could offer us a refund credit voucher. We don't feel comfortable cancelling because we wouldn't then be protected by ABTA, credit card or insurance. Although now our insurance company are saying they will not cover if the FCO has advised against travel! Our credit card team is happy to dispute this but can take more than 60 days and is not guaranteed. Our holiday is on Tuesday but do we ask for the holiday to be cancelled, risk the company saying we breached contract and throw away our protection with the credit card. Or do we not cancel, dispute with the credit card and risk that not been guaranteed as well. 

Does something legally prevent then from providing the trip (or whatever it was that you were paying for)? If so then you are entitled to a refund. 

If however their bit of whatever you were going to do can legally happen, but something else prevents you from going, it is more complicated. Equally if it is just "advice" against travel and not a legal prohibition then that is also difficult?

Hellosal

Well the reason we can not go on our trip is due to coronavirus. Our trip was supposed to be on Tuesday but the flights are not going and therefore the tour company should be cancelling but they are refusing to cancel and asking us to cancel 

Pollycat

Have you read the advice in this MSE article?:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/02/coronavirus-travel-help-and-your-rights/#stoppaying

Undervalued

Hellosal said:

Well the reason we can not go on our trip is due to coronavirus. Our trip was supposed to be on Tuesday but the flights are not going and therefore the tour company should be cancelling but they are refusing to cancel and asking us to cancel 

That doesn't answer my questions.

Was this all a package or did you book the flights separately?

If it is a package and they can't provide it then yes, they should cancel and you should get a refund.

If the overseas part can go ahead but you can't get there and you booked the flights separately then you have a problem.  

Archergirl

Do NOT cancel........

Hellosal

Thanks we have spoken to the credit card again today and they would class it as cancelled because the flights arnt going ahead and the safari isn't going ahead. Phew