Last minute.com cancellation charges

TIDH2024

Hi we booked a family holiday last year to Crete Oct 23rd 2024 and paid £1200 deposit. My husbands business has since struggled and we couldn’t afford the remaining balance of £2.4k due Sept21st. Gave me the option to cancel online so I did on 19th Sept . Then I got an email saying I was liable to pay the rest as it was in my terms and conditions when I booked. I finally got to speak to someone and they said I have to pay it or face legal action and now it’s cancelled I can’t go on the holiday either. I am so stressed as I don’t have the money to pay them and I also can’t even go on the holiday if I borrowed the money to pay them. This seems so unfair and unethical as they already have the £1200 deposit and say the holiday is now not available. They are not showing any empathy towards us. Any advice or anyone been in a similar situation? What is their legal process, are costs added, do they take you to court. Can you pay in instalments? I would never ever book with them again it’s caused me so much worry. And perhaps yes I should have looked at terms and conditions but I actually cannot believe a company can get away with this. It was bad enough losing the deposit! Now I am facing full payment and not even a holiday. 

Mark_d

The arrangement here is common with travel agents.  I've just had a quote for a holiday (not lastminute.com) and the T&C say:

You will have to pay the cancellation charges as follows:
- More than 70 days: loss of Deposit
- From 69 to 43 days: 50% of holiday cost
- From 42 to 29 days: 70% of holiday cost
- From 28 to 14 days: 90% of holiday cost
- Less than 14 days: 100% of holiday cost

I suspect lastminute.com will pass the debt on to a debt collection specialist who would allow you to pay in instalments.  If you don't cooperate with them then you'll be hit with further late payment fees.  Eventually they would take you to court and you'd have to pay legal costs, court fees interest...

TELLIT01

Sorry for your predicament but the cost of late cancellation will be in the T&C you agreed to.  It's certainly disappointing that the agent at Booking.com didn't point out that co

eskbanker

TELLIT01 said:

Sorry for your predicament but the cost of late cancellation will be in the T&C you agreed to.  It's certainly disappointing that the agent at Booking.com didn't point out that co

OP cancelled online (with lastminute.com).