holiday vouchers

lizmd

We are not able to use some holiday vouchers to book a holiday this year due to the current situation with airlines, holidays companies we have asked that the expiry date be extended.  With the expiry date looming, we do not want to lose the £1500 which were given to us a  present for long service by our employer.  Coupled with the fact we are over 60, we are reluctant to book anything in the current climate.
Is anyone else in the same boat? What are you being advised to do?

Trina90

Not exactly in the same position but I had paid for the holiday that I'm supposed to be on at the moment, with gift vouchers. What did the company say when you asked to extend? If you do end up booking something eventually, I would book a package, as even though you paid with vouchers, you will still get ATOL protection and therefore get the money back if the company were to go into administration (this is what happened to me when I paid with vouchers when Thomas Cook went bust)

Alan_Bowen

You need to contact the issuer of the vouchers, you need to be aware that whilst travel booked with vouchers may have financial protection, the vouchers themselves, which are often issued by non-travel companies as incentives, are not protected and if the issuer fails, the value may be gone. I assume they had a 12 month validity, try and get another 12 months but some of these incentive companies are not particularly helpful and like the fact that if the date is passed, they can just write off the liability to provide the holiday

lizmd

Thank you for your responses.  The holiday voucher is a "love2shopholiday' voucher which was given to us as a 'long service to work' present - £1500.  We have asked if 'love2shop' will extend it as it runs out at end of October.  We can't see it viable to book something yet as we have 3 key workers in our family of 4.  We thought an extension of a year would be acceptable but sadly not.  No refund has been offered either.

Westin

As others have said, you need to ask and wait on a reply from them regarding any possible extension.

I can’t see them giving you a cash refund for the value.

Love2Shop Holidays I believe just books holidays as an agent. If no voucher extension, rather than a complete loss I would be tempted to have them book a tradition package holiday for you (TUI, Jet2 Holidays, Olympic etc), perhaps for 2021. You then have an ATOL protected holiday.

lizmd

Thanks for your response.  Love2shop have refused to extend the expiry date so as you say we may have to book a bog standard holiday and if we don't go given that it may not be our fault due to current problems or holiday provider not being able to fulfil then we hopefully will get a refund.    Shame, as we were hoping to put it towards a big holiday.