Confusing email from TUI re holiday to Greece they are cancelling

Shookup

We have had an email from TUI saying they are cancelling our holiday to Greece which is in mid August.

They have given us 3 options
1) Refund credit with a financial incentive to rebook with them.
2) Do nothing over the next 7 days in which case we will get the refund credit automatically
3)  Cancel our booking and get a  refund by going onto the website manage bookings section and cancelling.

My preference would be to simply get a refund (option 3.). As I don't trust the terms and conditions of credit vouchers.  However, I am worried about being encouraged to go on and actively cancel the holiday ourselves, when FCO advice on travelling to Greece and Greek government advice could change to allow holidays.  Looking at the overall picture of disruption to people's holidays from covid 19,  It seems in general that if you yourself cancel the holiday, your rights are diminished.

Has anybody got their money back from TUI and if so, was it in response to an email like this?

I dont want to be seen as the instigator of 'cancelling' the holiday; rather I want it to be a clear cancellation by TUI.

bradders1983

That is strange wording and nothing at all like the wording I got from then, surely if they have cancelled it then that is that and the email says so in case of dispute.

To remove any doubt, simply ring them and ask for clarity, or just wait the 7 days for them to send the credit note as per option 2. This can then be cashed in for cash once you have it by filling in their online form.

Shookup

Well actually re reading the email, they don't actually use the wording 'cancelled', they say they won't be able to deliver the high standard of holiday they normally can and holiday wont be 'operating as planned'.   I read this as them cancelling it but are they?  

eskbanker

Not sure if they're trying to be cute in any way but the wording of the actual regulations does technically anticipate the customer initiating the cancellation when the supplier advises significant changes, despite this generally being considered A Very Bad Idea for obvious reasons.

Regulation 11 of The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, in covering significant changes imposed by the organiser, includes:

(5) The traveller may, within a reasonable period specified by the organiser—

(a) accept the proposed changes; or

(b) terminate the contract without paying a termination fee.

[...]

(8) Where—

(a) the traveller terminates the contract pursuant to paragraph (5)(b), and

(b) the traveller does not accept a substitute package,

the organiser must refund all payments made by or on behalf of the traveller without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days after the contract is terminated.

bradders1983

Shookup said:

Well actually re reading the email, they don't actually use the wording 'cancelled', they say they won't be able to deliver the high standard of holiday they normally can and holiday wont be 'going ahead as planned'.   I read this as them cancelling it but are they?  

My wording was the same, but to all intents and purposes yes, they are cancelling. I would just wait the 7 days, get the credit note, and then cash it in online

bradders1983

This was my email in May by the way...

Mazzle

I've had the same email from Tui and like you I am also worried about hitting that cancellation button.  

SevenOfNine

I'm wondering if this remotely connected to something on Twitter. Their holiday cancelled for 20 July by TUI, but up for sale at twice the price, "same holiday, same island, same flight".

Are TUI up to dirty tricks, you take cancellation plus "up to" 20% "incentive", then they flog your holiday for double to someone else, everyone being desperate to get away & all that.

If OP goes partially through the cancellation process (don't hit the final step of "confirm" whatever you do), you'll see that the refund is zero if you proceed. No-one in their right mind should continue in those circumstances whatever TUI's email says.  

When my last holiday was cancelled, the email was clear....CANCELLED.  It might be a bit muddled at first  for Greece because TUI guarantee NOT to take you anywhere you may be quarantined, & there's still a chance of that there.

Shookup

i am getting more and more suspicious of what these holiday companies are up to.  I am currently also going through a chargeback claim through my bank with Ryan air for other flights.  In addition I have stupidly got myself involved with last minute.com who are delaying processing my booking, probably weighing up their options.  I am trying to keep my stress levels down over all of this but I seem to be uncovering more and more 'dirty tricks'.

flipper_72

I have the same scenario, when I go through to the booking It gives me the 3 options above but if you choose the 3rd option the refund is 0. It even states just above on the previous page that if I cancel up to 10th July they will refund the amount I have paid for the holiday. I am going to have to wait it out I guess, I can’t see what they gain from this, surely they end up with more aggro and phone calls than if the website actually did what it said it would do !

Shookup

I rang them today and they said it was definitely a cancellation and that we could hit the cancellation button and would get a refund within 3/4 working days.  Sounds too good to be true!