Booking accommodation through Trip Advisor - Holiday Lettings.co.uk. All cancelled after 1.11.24!!

suzukibandit1

I’m pretty certain this is not a scam but just thought I would check it out here. 

We have a booking for a villa in January 2025 through Trip Advisor. I got an email this morning saying that as they are making changes to their platform they would not be doing this anymore and therefore from 1 November 2024 all bookings are cancelled and a refund will be provided if you have a booking after this date. Thereafter it is up to you to contact the owner and make other arrangements! 

The email has my correct information including booking number and dates so it would appear to be genuine. However I would have thought with such a change affecting many people we would have heard about it from other sources. 

Anyone else had such an email?
Thanks

born_again

Well google is not bringing anything up.

I would contact trip advisor direct. Not via any details on the email.

goater1972

I've had the same one. I've got a villa for 3 weeks over Xmas and new-year. Iv contacted the owner to ask is this true.

goater1972

Looks like it's real I've just been on the help page on trip advisor. I still waiting for a response from the owners 

GazzaF

It does not look like a Scam, I am an owner/advertiser of 10 years and received an email from TripAdvisor at 9am this morning advising that they are closing all owner accounts incl, Holiday Lettings Flipkey etc. 
This has caused a lot of problems not only for us as a business but quite understandably for all pending renters who are looking forward to their holidays and have probably already made flight , vehicle hire arrangement's and payments already, " Way to Go TripAdvisor !!!!!!! "  great way to ruin peoples vacations and businesses as we have already been contacted by 4 of our upcoming renters panicking about their accommodation. , Not even a timely run off of a bookings platform, and cannot get a straight answer from them directly.

suzukibandit1

That’s a pretty poor way of treating the owners/advertisers GazzaF. It’s bad enough renters being told with 48 hours notice but it must be even worse for you🙁
I managed to get in touch earlier with the local contact for our villa who has been in touch with the owner. They are off to check their emails! They knew nothing about it

goater1972

I've just spoken to the owner and they hadn't even told him. I'm dealing direct now.

brian_sp

I also received this email. I spoke to owner who was also advised today that this was happening. We are trying to sort it out but I'm reluctant to pay by bank transfer so may have to look on other sites for payment protection.  Ps Had another look at the website and cannot make bookings at all for apartments in Costa Del Sol after 1 November. Nothing shows after search after 1 November. Disgraceful way to treat renters and owners. Br

J_B

We advertise our place in Cyprus - we currently have no bookings for next year but have heard nothing from TA/HL

twopenny

Seems it is true.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/09/10/anger-tripadvisor-cancels-holiday-rental-stay-short-notice/

I found it in a thread on the subject on the Forums there. The forums are for the site, reviews and advertising and not for the other companies that book holidays so no point in asking questions there. It's answered by the public and not the company.

The forum explains that bookings are down hugely - but where they go from here no one knows yet. TA sells to 3rd party sites so much the same as many others except that the TA site is run on a very old system.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g1-i12105-k14876749-TA_s_Vacation_Rental_Platform_Shutting_Down_Nov_1_2024-Tripadvisor_Support.html

J_B

twopenny said:

Seems it is true.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/09/10/anger-tripadvisor-cancels-holiday-rental-stay-short-notice/

Someone has archived it to prevent the paywall blocking it ...

https://archive.ph/dKxWH