On The Beach Cancellation Advice

Daniel73

Hi. We are due to go to Spain on July 13th. Booked with On The Beach at the beginning of March. We've paid 20% of the holiday costs, the balance is due on 29th June. It's impossible to contact anyone at OTB. The only option is to either pay the balance or cancel the holiday (an extra £150) through the app. OTB confirmed the holiday but have given no options regarding options to rearrange or refunds. The FCO travel ban is due to be lifted, but probably after the balance is taken from my account. Is it best to pay the cancellation fee to end the contract? The timing is bad as OTB are getting terrible reviews and taking money from customers accounts.

[Deleted User]

It isn't just OTB Daniel, all travel agents seem unavailable and seem to be working strictly to order.  Not ideal when you don't know what the heck is happening 18 days before date of travel!   They are, however, getting in touch!   So be paitent.  As you say your only option at moment is either pay the holiday or cancel it.    You will need to check your terms and conditions as to what you owe if you cancel now?   I can't actually see it being all steam ahead of 13th July even if restrictions lifted because of the distancing rules.   Some may be able to go, others offered rebookings or refunds.   If they are unable to offer you the holiday you paid for then you can request a refund but only if/when it has been cancelled.   It is just a gamble really isn't it?   

Daniel73

Thank you for your help. If cancel the booking, there will be no chance of a refund, and potentially risk the travel advice remaining in place, and get a refund. The problem is that the deadline to pay the balance is probably before any official FCO announcement 

Pollycat

Unfortunately, you have the same dilemma that many people have faced.

Me too.

I cancelled our late August holiday a couple of days before our final balance was due and walked away from our £120 deposit to Jet2 (that was mid June).

We just didn't know what the resort would look like when we got there.

Problems getting a sun bed round the pool? Problems getting on local transport? Problems getting into the places we wanted to eat because they'd removed half the tables? Not being able to do trips we'd planned?

And that was on top of the whole travel thing:

check-in, Security, flight, Passport control, luggage reclaim, coach transfer and again in reverse.

It was the right decision for us at the time and we still don't regret cancelling.

OTB didn't get great reviews before this crisis.

Daniel73

I totally agree. I really don't want a stressful holiday with the kids, from the moment you get to the airport.
We have had some correspondence with OTB by private messaging them on Instagram, as all other communication is impossible
I have booked with OTB before and everything turned out ok, unfortunately it's been frustrating this time