Hoseasons £10 deposit beware

[AuntieandDerek]

Firstly, it’s my fault as I didn’t read/understand the full terms and conditions properly. But I’m sharing here in case it stops anyone else makes the same mistake.

The £10 deposit is good if you want to delay paying for the holiday but no good if you need to cancel. I found a lodge in a holiday park and booked for £10 to reserve it before checking I could get the week off work. Unfortunately someone else had the week off already but when I went to cancel the lodge they told me I need to pay the difference between the £10 deposit deal and the standard deposit (£193).

The T&Cs do explain this, though it could perhaps have been clearer. I made the wrong assumption that I would only lose the £10.

My fault but hoping I might save someone else from making the same mistake.

Will they let you rearrange?

In my naivety it wouldn't have entered my head. I would have thought that a deposit was just that and nothing else to pay. Thank you for the warning

@TheBottomsOfMyTrousersAreRolled You can amend the booking for £55 (and any price difference for the week you want to change it too) which is definitely less painful than £193 if you can get the week you want.

Me neither. That's scandalous.

I feel a bit better that I’m not the only one who would have thought the same. Lesson learned for sure! Shame, as Hoseasons seemed like a good option for holidays but it’s made me wary of them.

Hard to comment without knowing the wording of what you agreed to when you booked it.

I got this promo email today too. It says
"Secure your summer stay from just £10"*
"*Book from £10 applies to new bookings (Book from £50 applies to new boating bookings), with arrival dates which are more than 10 weeks after you make your booking. Book by 31st December 2025."

You have to click through to the Ts and Cs, and then through to a special 'Ts & Cs for the low deposit deal' to read about the cancellation charges.

Thanks OP, wasn't going to book but it wasn't exactly clear. I think I would always read about what the cancellation charges are when booking as I'm risk-averse, but the way the £10 deposit is the subject of the whole email does sound like you've only got £10 to lose.

I've just booked one last week and did the £10 deposit. When you are actually completing the booking it does tell you quite clearly that you are liable for the difference if you cancel.

I should have read it more carefully and spoken to them to clarify before booking. The 2nd photo is the one that explains this though I would say it didn’t clearly explain what the standard deposit cost was. As in my OP, it was my fault but the cynic in me thinks they’re relying on people to assume the deposit works in the same way as most deposits.

So I’m flagging to stop other people making the same mistake as me.

This happened to me but slightly difference circumstances. I had a holiday booked for next month in a lodge, booked last August but cancelled in September last year upon finding out I was pregnant. I'd be 38 weeks pregnant at the time of the holiday.

I paid the low deposit, think it was £25 but cancelled within a week of booking and they wanted me to pay £140 to cancel. I felt this was unfair as I cancelled within a week, not the day before the holiday for example. And their website clearly stated the amount it would cost to cancel, based on how close it was to the holiday that you'd cancelled. They're still hassling me now, but I'm trying to come to an arrangement. I'll probably end up having to pay though, which is annoying.

@Mystic94 Hope you get things sorted with them 🤞

OP, and @Mystic94 l would be inclined to go back (are you a regular customer, if so, say so) and say the T&C’s were not transparent and clear but buried in the small print. It potentially could be argued that this is misleading advertising. Ask them to treat your email as a formal complaint.

Hoseasons are members of ABTA, you may like to add that you are considering raising the matter with them.

They may make a goodwill gesture. If not, as l say go to ABTA and perhaps Simon Calder at The Independent.

Tui are the same, have been for years

I've always found it really clear. Otherwise they'd have people bagsying loads of weeks (in the summer hols for example) and then cancelling 6 / 8 / 12 weeks before, when the balance is due.

We usually use the Mumsnet discount which often doesn't let you have the £10 deposit anyway.

As above would look at amending for £55 if you still want the holiday.

Regardless of who the operator is, every complaint to the likes of ABTA counts. This way, we can help large businesses trying to hoodwink the consumer.

Just cancelled a Tui holiday and lost £900 (30%) because it was within 69 days to our trip. Im pretty sure the holiday will be sold on but pretty gutted at the loss.
I don't think I will ever book a holiday in advance again.

This is well known for lots of low deposit holiday bookings.

You know those T&Cs that we all accept without reading. It's all in there.

it's actually same across all holiday companies with the low deposits.

As the poster upthread said they can’t just let you lose the £10 or you would have people reserving holidays all over the place and cancelling just as you have to pay .

Sykes Cottages are similar. I paid a £20 deposit, but after you've paid that, you are required to pay the full deposit of around £380, i.e. you can't just put £20 down as a placeholder. I'll read the full terms and conditions next time! It wasn't immediately obvious.

We had similar with another holiday company op. I did it all on the phone and they categorically told me I would only pay the £10 if I cancelled before the whole balance was due. Then I paid and booked and got the t and cs saying you had to pay the full amount!

People would really be better off booking through the likes of Booking.com, Hotels.com/Expedia etc where they can filter searches on accommodation including apartments, cottages and hotels on a free cancellation basis.

I have recently booked with hoseasons for next year using the £10 deposit scheme and they tell you before you pay that you need to pay the full deposit amount if you cancel. Not in small print but very clearly so I am surprised you missed it. I'm thinking about booking another holiday next year and this is what you are shown when you select to pay the low deposit rather than the full deposit.

That’s really interesting to see. I knew there was a chance I would need to cancel so I’m pretty sure I would have noticed that. Out of interest I tried again and the view I get is different. It doesn’t spell it out, you have to click through to read the t&c’s. As above, it’s my responsibility to read them and make sure I understand so I have no come back on Hoseasons. But I think the screenshot you have provided is exactly what they should have done so it is really clear.

And thanks to everyone else for their comments. It’s interesting that other companies do the same, I’ll be more careful in the future. I don’t think I have grounds for a complaint given the T&Cs but if it’s helped one or two others avoid the same mistake then I’m happy.