We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Accommodation deposit lost during Covid

Options
Rajul
Rajul Posts: 3 Newbie
First Post
edited 19 May at 4:54PM in Coronavirus Board
Hope somebody can help; we booked a cottage for May of this year, due to Covid the accommodation was shut and so we could not go .We paid £600 for a deposit, we have asked for this to be returned but this has failed to happen, we booked privately directly with the owners via a bank transfer. The owners now say they have no money in which to refund us. I have tried the bank who have been unable to help and also Action Fraud who also couldn't help. Does anybody else have any idea how I could get my money back?
Regards 

Comments

  • CKhalvashi
    CKhalvashi Posts: 12,134 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Unfortunately, you're largely unprotected as you paid by bank transfer.

    Action Fraud won't be able to help, especially if the owners are in contact with you, as it's not a crime to have no money and there isn't anything to suggest that they don't own the property.

    The best idea may be to try to come up with a payment plan that you can both agree on, as this may be the quickest and easiest way to get the money that you are rightly owed. If this can't be done, then will be the time to take the matter to court.
    💙💛 💔
  • Thanks for your response, so I should make contact, try to come to an arrangement for them to repay me in instalments and if this fails then look at small claims?
  • CKhalvashi
    CKhalvashi Posts: 12,134 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    That would be what I'd do. Despite the fact that the money is repayable now, you're likely to get the money back a lot faster at £100/month or whatever you agree than going through the court system with the current huge backlog. Of course, if that fails, court will be a reasonable option, but attempting to arrange it between yourselves is likely the best 'common sense' option if you can afford to wait a few months for the money to come back.
    💙💛 💔
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 22,443 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    Where was the cottage?
    Did the owners cancel or did you?
  • CKhalvashi
    CKhalvashi Posts: 12,134 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    sheramber said:
    Where was the cottage?
    Did the owners cancel or did you?
    As the OP says 'due to Covid the accommodation was shut and so we could not go ', I (probably correctly) assume the owners.

    Where will be largely irrelevant (although due to the mention of Action Fraud, I assume in the UK), as the service that OP was paying for was not available.
    💙💛 💔
  • Cottage in Devon. Technically the government cancelled as it was during the first lockdown when all holidays lets were closed. I made initial contact when I became aware of this to arrange a new date but was told they could not do this or offer a refund. 
  • nyermen
    nyermen Posts: 1,138 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    This all seemed very familiar until the refusal to arrange to a new date. Either the property is no longer theirs (possibly with current circumstances) or they're trying it on.
    Peter

    Debt free - finally finished paying off £20k + Interest.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 24 November 2020 at 4:46PM
    One of your posts says 'no refund, no date change'. The other says 'no money to refund you'.  So which is it? Have they agreed a refund in principle?
    Given that 6m has elapsed, it's time to send and LBA and them small claims. 
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 7,542 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Indeed while there is some sympathy for both parties in the first instance it was a long and lucrative summer for Devon (I live there).
    So they should have been able to repay since then.
    Have you looked at the site you booked on to see if they are letting the cottage now? Bit late with another lockdown but the site should still be able to give you an idea.
    Also was this direct with the owners? VBidea to use Bank Transfer unless it's people you know and trust. This is usually used by scammers. And back to checking if that cottage is still up for rent and if it was the owners you paid to.
    Holiday rentals sometimes have the photo used/copied by the unscrupulous and the people you pay are not the owners.
    It all sounds very fishy to me. Do you have the name of the cottage or site you booked through?

    I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!

    viral kindness .....kindness is contageous pass it on

    The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well


Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.