HELP! Am I entitled to a refund?

fisher694

Hi 

Looking for some advice or help as currently we are at a dead end. 

We (my partner and I) booked a 4-night stay (1st - 4th April) in a Spa Lodge at Silverwood Lodges based in Perth, Scotland for a family wedding taking place in on 4th April. But due to the Government imposed lockdown the wedding was postponed and pushed back to October 2020. The owner of the lodges stated he would not move anyone's bookings until the lockdown had been lifted. Months go by and the wedding is now cancelled due to the limitations of the new normal, we found out this on 23rd July. 

I immediately sent an email to Silverwood Lodges to request a refund due to our original stay falling within the lockdown. However, I heard nothing back. I emailed them again, no reply.  I started to see if there was a different route we could take, I looked into Chargebacks and it looked promising. I contacted Lloyds who I paid the deposit for the lodge through back in August 2019, and I was told due to the charge being over the 120 days' time period there was nothing they could do. Lloyds however have been able to recover my sister's money which is currently pending the 45 days clawback time scale. I then contacted Monzo who I paid the remaining balance through in December 2019, again as it is over 120 days there is nothing they can do. 

I have still not received any communication back from Silverwood Lodges in regard to my refund. When he replied previously regarding our dates, he said we could either visit another time, or claim a refund via holiday insurance. Insurance that we obviously don't have as this wasn't an international holiday, and at the time of booking you couldn't even dream the circumstances that have occurred.  

My partner has spoken to him once over the phone recently, where he promised to send over his company's policies and T & Cs the following day. I haven't received anything! We are over £500 out of pocket and we REALLY don't want to have to stay there if we are entitled to a full refund. 

Please help!! 

Dottydoolay

Without T&C’s it’s impossible to say what you’re entitled to which is probably why I’m the first to reply.
Initial thoughts are sadly no you’re not entitled  to a refund going on the basis that it’s not anyone’s fault the wedding was cancelled and lockdown occurred although you may be able to change dates.
Sorry that I can’t be more positive.

Upsidedownandaround

If the property was not available to you then you should be entitled to a refund. How you get it back is a different story. The only route I can see if your debit card and Monzo have said it is to late is to take legal action via the Small Claims Court. Maybe look in to this and then if you decide you want to proceed send a letter requesting payment advising that if it is refused you intend  to take legal action in the Small Claims Court.

Jeremy535897

Upsidedownandaround said:

If the property was not available to you then you should be entitled to a refund. How you get it back is a different story. The only route I can see if your debit card and Monzo have said it is to late is to take legal action via the Small Claims Court. Maybe look in to this and then if you decide you want to proceed send a letter requesting payment advising that if it is refused you intend  to take legal action in the Small Claims Court.

It appears the business is based in Scotland. See https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/taking-action/simple-procedure

diggingdude

Did you rebook for October? If that's the case you need to go in October or hope for another lock down 

epm-84

fisher694 said:

Hi 

Looking for some advice or help as currently we are at a dead end. 

We (my partner and I) booked a 4-night stay (1st - 4th April)

I looked into Chargebacks and it looked promising. I contacted Lloyds who I paid the deposit for the lodge through back in August 2019, and I was told due to the charge being over the 120 days' time period there was nothing they could do. Lloyds however have been able to recover my sister's money which is currently pending the 45 days clawback time scale. I then contacted Monzo who I paid the remaining balance through in December 2019, again as it is over 120 days there is nothing they can do. 

It should be 120 days from the date of the transaction or 120 days from the date the service was supposed to be delivered, meaning you should have had 120 days from the start of April.  Of course it's now past 120 days but just in case you contacted Monzo after 118 days and someone gave you incorrect information.

t0rt0ise

If they cancelled, as in the accommodation was not available to you then you are due a refund. If they aren't playing ball then the small claims court is your only option.
In Scotland it's here.. https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/taking-action/civil-online-gateway/welcome2