Using Chargeback for Butlins

Issac_Hunt

We're within 10 days of an October Break in Butlins, Minehead. We paid for it all back in September, dowloaded the official App ready and as instructed, waited for the email telling us that we can now pre-book certain activities.

This is where it has all fallen over.

We received that email Monday evening so we attempted to browse and book a range of activities such as shows, archery etc. We kept getting an error message stating that 'The website is busy right now and we should try again later', i.e none of the activities were bookable with all of the timeslots greyed out.

The morning after was a similar tale.

Trying again last night and we are now able to book but almost all of the activities are fully booked. I'm not going to entertain sitting in a Chalet for 4 nights doing sod all because they (Butlins) have over subscribed themselves so has anyone ever used Chargeback on their credit cards against them successfully?

Caz3121

does your accommodation rate include activities (that are not being provided) or are the activities bookable separately to the accommodation costs. Is there any contractual guarantee re activities?
If your payment is for accommodation only then I suspect a chargeback would fail as the accommodation is still being provided

sheramber

From thier facebook page there may be slots available on the day.

ItsComingRome

Issac_Hunt said:

We're within 10 days of an October Break in Butlins, Minehead. We paid for it all back in September, dowloaded the official App ready and as instructed, waited for the email telling us that we can now pre-book certain activities.

This is where it has all fallen over.

We received that email Monday evening so we attempted to browse and book a range of activities such as shows, archery etc. We kept getting an error message stating that 'The website is busy right now and we should try again later', i.e none of the activities were bookable with all of the timeslots greyed out.

The morning after was a similar tale.

Trying again last night and we are now able to book but almost all of the activities are fully booked. I'm not going to entertain sitting in a Chalet for 4 nights doing sod all because they (Butlins) have over subscribed themselves so has anyone ever used Chargeback on their credit cards against them successfully?

Right, because you're stuck in a concentration camp and can't leave the premises?

I have no idea why people book cringeworthy Butlins holidays anyway, but you are allowed to leave and see the sights and sounds of the greater area.

[Deleted User]

If your fee is for the accommodation (plus anything else, like food or whatever but not activities) and they simply offer things like activities as an optional extra, subject to availability, then any charge back is doomed to fail as they will simply dispute it on the grounds that what you paid for was available. You'd struggle to argue that it was somehow their fault that you couldn't book activities, given plenty of other people managed to.