Holiday Gems - Accommodation only "cancellation"

gdbaines

Just received this email message from Holiday Gems re holiday commencing 30/06/2020:
"Your Accommodation Only Booking

We are contacting you in regard to your accommodation only booking with us.
If you still require your accommodation reservation can you please email us to confirm on priority@holidaygems.co.uk. 

If we have not heard from you by 5:30pm on 10th June 2020 then we will cancel the accommodation reservations and will send you a credit note for the value of the monies paid, to be used against another holiday with ourselves.

Kind Regards

EMR Team HolidayGems"
We have booked flights separately with EasyJet. Although we are fully expecting these to be canceled in due course, they are currently still scheduled, so technically we still need the accommodation.
What are Holiday Gems saying exactly? That the accommodation has been canceled? Or that they want us to confirm cancelation or otherwise? The wording seems deliberately vague. Plus they are only giving 48 hours to make a decision, which seems unreasonably.
Anyone had a similar message from/experience with Holiday Gems?

Life__Goes__On

Where and when is your holiday?

gdbaines

Egypt, date as original post

Life__Goes__On

I don't see how the Holiday Gems e-mail is enforceable, a person might not even check their e-mail

Was the accommodation  refundable when you booked it?

gdbaines

No. Unless they cancel it. 

gdbaines

My concern is that they are trying to get out of providing a cash refund by getting customers to cancel the accommodation rather than cancel it themselves. 

Life__Goes__On

gdbaines said:

My concern is that they are trying to get out of providing a cash refund by getting customers to cancel the accommodation rather than cancel it themselves. 

It's up in the air if Egypt opens up by then, if they do open up, then you might not get any refund from them.

Could you claim on travel insurance?