LHH Scotland cottage booking refund

QueenLizzie

Interesting reading about LHH.  There were lots of comments like this on their Facebook page but they have now obviously doctored it and have removed the negative ones!  We also had a cottage booked from 20-27 June in the Outer Hebrides through LHH and they were not for refunding our £382 deposit even though we could to travel due to UK restrictions because of Covid 19.  Luckily we were insured through AXA (via AMEX) and they have reimbursed us £234.  Out of principle, I am fighting LHH to get the £148 excess refunded to me.  We are third time customers and I am appalled by their behaviour.  We are Scottish holiday home owners ourselves and have refunded all our guests who are delighted and are all rebooking!  The CMA (The Government's Competition and Markets Authority) have issued a statement advising that they expect customers to be offered a full refund if the service they had booked was not provided because it was prevented due to Lockdown restrictions.  You can access a form via their website and report LHH on there.  It's worth doing.

I 

Life__Goes__On

bradders101 said:

Would you advise that I take out insurance now in case they do cancel - as if I understand correctly this will be the only way to get the deposit back?

Too late,  you won't get any cover anywhere for travel disruption due to COVID-19

bradders101

QueenLizzie said:

Interesting reading about LHH.  There were lots of comments like this on their Facebook page but they have now obviously doctored it and have removed the negative ones!  We also had a cottage booked from 20-27 June in the Outer Hebrides through LHH and they were not for refunding our £382 deposit even though we could to travel due to UK restrictions because of Covid 19.  Luckily we were insured through AXA (via AMEX) and they have reimbursed us £234.  Out of principle, I am fighting LHH to get the £148 excess refunded to me.  We are third time customers and I am appalled by their behaviour.  We are Scottish holiday home owners ourselves and have refunded all our guests who are delighted and are all rebooking!  The CMA (The Government's Competition and Markets Authority) have issued a statement advising that they expect customers to be offered a full refund if the service they had booked was not provided because it was prevented due to Lockdown restrictions.  You can access a form via their website and report LHH on there.  It's worth doing.

I 

WEll done for providing refunds yourself. I hope you get your excess refnded eventually. I had no idea about that form - thank you!

QueenLizzie

We got half of our excess back! 

[Deleted User]

bradders101 said:

Hi Millypuss. Thanks for highlighting your plight. I have a booking with LHH for September in Scotland for a group of 20 of us. I am waiting with crossed fingers that it will go ahead but I know there's no way the entire group will be able to make it now under the changed corcumstances and the fact that half of the group are flying from other countries. I hadn't taken out holiday insurance for the trip as I already live in Scotland so it hadn't occured to me!
Would you advise that I take out insurance now in case they do cancel - as if I understand correctly this will be the only way to get the deposit back?

I know you have already been advised that you would be unable to take out insurance now and I, like the rest of the country, are hoping that holidays in UK WILL go ahead by September so unless FCO advise we are still unable to travel/stay overnight you wouldn't  get your deposit back but even if you had taken out insurance, each person would need to have their own if they are named as guests (or insurance would only likely pay 1/20 th out)  .   You could check to see if the people coming from abroad are covered under their own insurance policies?   If they are unable to fly here in September.     Obviously if the planes have resumed and the accommodation is open then it would be deemed voluntary cancellation and you will lose whatever the t's and c's you agreed to stipulate which could be more than just the deposit depending on when you cancel.   

whinlatterdrive

I paid in full £1710 for  a holiday with LHH  6 - 20 June in Outer Hebrides.  Due to Covid -19 the holiday cottage was not available for us. We have had the indignity of having to pay also for "end of holiday cleaning, wear & tear n use of utilities".  LHH refuse to refund any of our money and keep referring us to their Terms & Conditions.  I think this is certainly immoral if not illegal also. I have reported this matter  to CMA. 

[Deleted User]

whinlatterdrive said:

I paid in full £1710 for  a holiday with LHH  6 - 20 June in Outer Hebrides.  Due to Covid -19 the holiday cottage was not available for us. We have had the indignity of having to pay also for "end of holiday cleaning, wear & tear n use of utilities".  LHH refuse to refund any of our money and keep referring us to their Terms & Conditions.  I think this is certainly immoral if not illegal also. I have reported this matter  to CMA. 

Have you tried a chargeback on your card?   On the basis that you didn't receive 'the goods'.    Their terms and conditions are quite clear about cancellation but as you weren't the ones to cancel you should not have to lose your money.   I only hope you did pay by card.   Also, having to pay for the extras as you state is ridiculous when you couldn't even get there!    Good luck.

whinlatterdrive

Hi Tedber
Thankyou for that advice.  I think that is our next stop.  Lets hope there are enough complaints re LHH to get CMA in touch with them.  I think they need to have a wake up call. 

bigbarryobama

LHH will suffer in future from these actions.   They rely very much on repeat custom and goodwill,   if they hack of so many regular bookers then they just wont book again,   so LHH are just compounding their own issues.   Better to offer people refunds or move their bookings to next year than the poor response from them so far,   goodwill goes a long way and is remembered!

val_mac

Tedber said:

Hi Chrissm,   So they have cancelled your holiday and not offered to rebook you?    Very naughty.   Previous is slightly different as holiday not been cancelled - yet!  (they should get refunded when it is cancelled)  Assuming you have paid by card, I would try a chargeback from your bank on the basis they have cancelled so therefore not provided the services you paid for.   I haven't come across this before where companies cancel completely and don't actually let you pay the balance though without knowing if the holiday will or will not go ahead?   

Hi there!
We've also had a similar issues with LHH and I'd welcome any thoughts on our situation. We booked our holiday in November with a deposit of £297 (which included a booking fee of £12!!) for the first week in July. We didn't take out insurance! They have just emailed to say
"Unfortunately it is not going to be possible for you to travel to the holiday house due to Government restriction in place."
It seems they are avoiding using the word cancellation! They have offered help .... I'm being ironic, they said,

"we have been looking at how we can help. For example, if the relevant owner consents, we are not proposing to seek payment of the balance on monies due if the government restrictions do indeed prevent you travelling to and occupying your LHH holiday accommodation." 

Thank goodness they are not asking for the balance but they are also not offering a refund OR rescheduling!

"At the moment, refunds are not possible and rescheduling is not being offered as standard where insurance is in place, as per our Terms and Conditions." 

We don't even have insurance in place but this just seems wrong! They have told me that the majority of the deposit goes towards what they are due as agents for the home owner, which also seems like an excessive fee! Is there anything we can do to get our deposit back!? That's what we want now, although had originally been happy to reschedule! We don't want to now! Really bad PR for Lewis, although I know it's not the island's fault! :-(:neutral: