Reading the small print on holiday deposits

super_trouper55

I recently saw a nice cheap package holiday with TUI, they offered me the opportunity of securing said holiday with a deposit of £100. After one month I wanted to cancel the holiday due to a separate financial predicament so I contacted TUI to cancel, they said I could do this but only if I paid the full deposit value which was a further £700. When I complained to customer service about this they told me to wait until this figure was due in December but don't pay it and wait for the underwriters to get in touch to reclaim the money, then explain my situation to them, so they MAY waive this fee. Is this normal?

Ayr_Rage

It's normal to be liable for the full "normal" deposit if you cancel when you pay a reduced initial payment.

As for defaulting on a contractual debt, it could go two ways, they negotiate or pursue you for the full amount which could mean legal action or them selling the debt to a recovery company.

I would take anything said over the phone with a pinch of salt

TELLIT01

Requiring you to pay the full deposit if you cancel the holiday is normal.  The suggestion to wait is not something I've heard before.  If you paid by debit or credit card I wonder if TUI will just be able to take it from your account.

That's a question I'm raising, not stating it will happen.

This is from the TUI website. 

£0 and Low Deposit Holidays

We’ve created our low deposit scheme so you can spread the cost of your holiday and bag a great deal – even if you don’t have the money at the time! Find your perfect break, and book it straight away with £0 deposit and partial deposit options. Your booking will be completely secure, and the rest of your deposit won’t be due until up to 8 weeks later, depending on when you booked your holiday and your departure date.

NoodleDoodleMan

Did you book online or in a TUI store ?

If in store the staff taking the reservation would have (or should have) clearly explained that the low deposit of £100 is only partial and not the full deposit - the latter amount is still going to be demanded by TUI if you cancel.

I was under the impression that was £400, although it's 3 or 4 years since I opted for such an initial £100 deal - I'm not clear why they want an additional £700 in this case.

I would not go with the "advice" offered about waiting until December etc.

TUI are not known for their "understanding" in scenarios where a customer wishes to cancel without paying the full deposit.

I would be inclined to pay the full deposit and suck it up - as unpleasant as that will be.

Also - be sure you know the best dates for settling the deposit, otherwise you could slide into the situation where the longer you wait the more is required to cancel.

Details here - https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/booking/tandc?ptype=PDP

TELLIT01

@NoodleDoodleMan won't the full deposit normally be a percentage of the holiday cost, not a fixed amount?

Caz3121

full deposit amounts appear to vary based on holiday type and distance
https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/low-deposit

NoodleDoodleMan

TELLIT01 said:

@NoodleDoodleMan won't the full deposit normally be a percentage of the holiday cost, not a fixed amount?

It may well be now - when I last did a low deposit deal it was £100 initially with £400 the full deposit.

I had a quick look at TUI website - they appear to have changed Ts&Cs since then.