Caravan break refund

Shaunbaz

Hi everyone. Just after some advice on a caravan holiday in Wales we booked in February 2020. It was paid in full from a bank transfer as this was the only payment method accepted. It was £260 (inc £50 deposit)

We were supposed to go in March but then lockdown changed all that. We contacted the private owner, asking for a refund but she flatly refused on the grounds she was waiting on information back from the Welsh tourist board/government.

This went on and on and she said she was shafted from a grant by the government and could only offer an alternative date so we moved it to September.. Then Liverpool went into a local lockdown and we were unable to leave the area. Her response on asking for another refund was "thats not my problem it is available for use and not my fault you can't travel" as much as were were angry about it (it got quite heated when my wife rang the owner) we decided to move it again to the beginning of March 2021.

Now were still in lockdown, I very much doubt were going to be able to go again and just want to call it a day now and get our money back.

Any advice? She's not playing ball whatsoever.. are we in the right here? Even thinking of going down the small claims route.

Thanks in advance

mattyprice4004

Unfortunately the owner was right about September - you not being able to leave your area is your problem, not theirs. 
The rest probably gives you a better chance; the problem is a lot of accommodation owners simply don't have the resources to provide an endless stream of refunds when very little new bookings are being made so it may be a 'blood out of a stone' situation in that what you're entitled to and what is going to happen are two very different things. 

Best of luck, but I think barking at the owner down the phone in September when they were correct may have burned any 'goodwill' bridges you have. 

eskbanker

Shaunbaz said:

Any advice? She's not playing ball whatsoever.. are we in the right here? Even thinking of going down the small claims route.

The CMA issued guidance last year that it expects refunds to be offered in circumstances where lockdown laws prevent either a business delivering a service or a customer being able to access it, but unfortunately there isn't sufficient indisputable legal backing for its opinion, so it's unlikely that you'd be able to demonstrate that refusing to refund would be unlawful or a breach of contract, unless there are Ts & Cs that back your viewpoint.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds