Par Sands caravan holiday cancellation

Marshy68

Hello, 

I was hoping that you could help me on a recently cancelled caravan holiday that I had booked for 31/5/2021.

I booked a caravan for Par Sands in Cornwall through Breakfree Holidays last year. The initial deposit was made through Breakfree but when I went to pay off the balance with the caravan site itself they told me that my holiday had been cancelled. 

I asked them why this was and was told that due to the epidemic and the fact that they private caravan owners didn't want people in their vans or that a lot of caravan owners had had to sell their vans due to the virus. 

I understand that that may be the case in some situations but surely they don't just hire out the private caravans and have their own. In fact, looking on the Par Sands website they still have caravans available to hire for the dates we were due to go. Why are they not using those caravans? 

I know that there are a few people who this has happened to for the same camp site who are equally baffled by  the situation. 

It seems to us that they have cancelled our 'discounted' holiday so that they can profit by now re-hiring our original caravans for 5 or 6 times the price because they know that the demand is high due to people wanting UK holidays this year. 

I was wondering if there is any further help that you can offer all of us who were looking forward to a much needed holiday after the year that we have all had especially as this holiday was booked last year. 

Thanks for any help you can give. 

Upsidedownandaround

Presumably you got your deposit back? If you have are you asking whether their is any way you can force them to take you on site?

What do the terms and conditions say? Usually there will be a clause allowing them to cancel and provide a refund it the service is no longer available. If they are saying the caravans are no longer available I don't think there is anything you can do about it other than lodge a complaint and see if they will offer some sort of alternative or future discount.

oscarward

Not sure about par sands but the site I go to has a mix of site owned and private owned caravans available to rent booked through the site. 

So it may be that your booking was with a privately owned van where the owner got cold feet and withdrew it whereas the site owned vans are still being offered.

[Deleted User]

I believe that the caravan owners reserve the right to cancel (check your t’s and c’s).  You will not automatically be transferred to an available caravan.  You should be refunded any monies you have paid and then you are free to book another.  

Happened to me in February 2020.  At a lodge in Lake District which I booked through Airbnb.  The lodge I was staying on, the owner cancelled two weeks before, as there were floods BUT other lodges were still taking bookings.  I got the refund immediately via Airbnb and booked another on same site!   

Didn’t think to challenge it tbh.  So not sure if you are asking if you have any legal rights?  Probably not!  

Edited to add - when we got there, the flooding excuse was just that .. an excuse. For whatever reason that the owners dreamt up!