To think people should cut the holiday companies some slack?

[sunfloweryy]

I’ve had my holiday cancelled for two weeks time - fair enough. Company are offering credit plus a discount on future holidays or you can apply for a refund but it could take several months.

I get this. They are obviously experiencing massively high call volumes, don’t have enough staff and are hemoraging money.

But loads of people are on SM demanding refunds, swearing, being rude etc. AIBU to think there are bigger problems and we should lay off for a while and let things die down?

I know it’s shit, I want my money back too but the cost is already sunk!

Thanks for posting this. We run a travel company (very small business - focus is international train travel) and we are refunding people but we simply don’t have the cash to refund people until our suppliers refund us and it’s taking ages. Most customers are being very understanding but some are being awful even when we explain the situation to them. Not helped that we have had to furlough 80% of our staff just to keep the company afloat so there are not as many people to help. Everyone is trying their best. I would also implore people to hang on of their holidays are later in the year, take credit or move their dates if at all possible and if not then be patient for a refund. It’s a dreadful situation all round.

Bojheybuddy
Depends on who your travel insurance is with
Many won’t pay out because it’s a pandemic and the policy don’t cover that
Other won’t pay out if the FCO advises against all but essential travel .
Section75 credit card act some of those won’t pay out if your offered a credit note
Im a cynical cow though and It’s looks like they are all colluding with each other to pay not out wherever possible

@ElloElloVera
Some hotels do take money straight away eg if you book a non refundable rate
Some of them despite trips have been allowing a date change

Many people are pissed off because they don't know if they will see their money again. I did the right thing and moved my Easter holiday with TUI, even though I would have liked a refund. But they owe me £365 which is the difference between the old and new holiday, and there's no sign of me getting it back. They are also fobbing people off and lying when you phone them, so no, I don't think they should be cut some slack. It's no way to treat their customers.

First choice are holding onto my - and thousands of other's - money illegally and continuing to see holidays when they no full well there is no chance of them going ahead to countries which simply do not have the capacity in hospitals to deal with tourists.

Morally bankrupt fuckers. So no, let's not cut them any slack as they certainly don't deserve it.

If a holiday company goes bust like Thomas Cook did you will get your money back through ABTA
@chocolatesaltyballs22 you will get your money back in time I know it’s not ideal but this situation is not ideal for anyone

dh is vulnerable & we have a holiday in Italy in Sept even if everything is open as coronavirus is going to be intermittent he would probably be at extreme risk. We also have a Break booked in this country with the same company this week - in this second case they had to cancel because the show it involved cancelled - as soon as it did (March before formal shutdown) I contacted them & got written email stating they would refund my account this still hasn't happened they want to give me credit - I said no because they had already promised & broke the refund law by not giving me money within two weeks which when offering me credit (via email no phone numbers available) this week AFTER I emailed to find out what was happening. We do not want a credit because we wont be able to use it & no one knows whether they will go out of business or if anyone could travel let alone us. I haven't sworn or been rude but I am assertive about this because their promise on the site (ATOL & ABTA) at the time of booking stated they would return money. Emails are not answered. We literally could loose a great deal of money. A member of the government has stated everyone should cancel or not plan on holidays this summer

I’m on the fence as I realise it isn’t their fault but I booked a first family’s holiday And got a real bargain with 2 free child places but if I just get a credit note without the free child’s places I won’t be able to go anywhere! I only booked Because I was getting 2 kids free. It’s a lot of money for me and I’ve saved very hard to take my disabled daughter on holiday which probably won’t happen now.

@chocolatesaltyballs22 that's terrible and they should be refunding you. I don't work for Tui but hopefully it's only taking time because they've probably furloughed most of their staff, so they'll have more refunds to do but less staff to do it. Not all tour ops behave like this, those of us that don't are doing the best we can

Totally agree it's not all tour ops, I've just had a bad experience with TUI. I usually use Jet2 and I heard they're refunding customers within 14 days. I'll be voting with my feet for future holidays.

If you can at all afford it (not applicable to those who genuinely can’t afford it), please please please, move dates or accept a credit note. I implore people to do this if they can.

But who knows when we will be able to take a holiday in the future? You could re-book for summer 2021 and find that we are still going in and out of lock down with no real certainty. I have not yet asked for a refund of my August 2020 holiday deposit ( uk based)as I am holding out til the last minute in case there is any chance it can go ahead, but if I do I will want the money back, as a credit note is too uncertain.

I think the people who don't take credit notes/ rearrangements etc will be exactly the some ones complaining because there will be very little choice of flights/ holidays next year because all the companies have gone bust.

I get that some people could do with the money but i don't understand those who say 'I can't afford to lose the money. Well actually you can because you were spending it on a holiday. If you really couldn't afford to lose it you wouldn't have spent it.

Plus many insurance companies won’t cover you for say covid 19 as a reason for cancelling in the future
So if you moved your holiday you may not be covered under the new policy

I booked a package holiday through a small, independent travel agent.
It was cancelled, & I was told the tour operator offered me a credit towards another holiday, or suggested I claim on my travel insurance.

Wrong. A more senior member of the agency confirmed that I was legally entitled to a refund, which is now being processed.

force majeure
/ˌfɔːs maˈʒəː/
noun
1.
LAW
unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.

This means rules from the tour operators airline can be amended

No they are offering refunds that when they go bust, no one will get back

I see this from both sides.

I do feel for the travel companies. They will be decimated by all this. There will be so many redundancies in this sector.

@Bottomplasters
Some holiday companies are offering cash refunds it’s just taking longer than normal
And if thy eye do go bust like Thomas cook did you will get your money back from abta

Let’s hope they don’t though eh

If you can at all afford it (not applicable to those who genuinely can’t afford it), please please please, move dates or accept a credit note. I implore people to do this if they can.

Till when though? My holiday with tui is in September but according to everyone on here holidays in September won’t be going ahead. How do we know when they will?

@Itsjustmee

ElloElloVera
I thought holiday operators don’t pay for the rooms in advance .They pay afterwards or is this wrong

It very much depends on the contract and agreement. It varies from hotel to hotel, ground handler to ground handler and supplier to supplier. Ultimately though your travel agent or tour operator do not hold great vaults of money ready to refund. If everyone forces it then liquidation will happen and everyone will lose.

Well considering the holiday companies have absolutely fucking rinsed me for 12 years, being confined to school holidays only, and paying through the nose, bloody extortionate prices, to go during those times, nah.

I'll have my money back within 14 days as per the law thanks.

@PumpkinP I can’t answer that. I’d expect within 12 months but who knows when Covid will allow it. That’s why I clarified those who could afford it.

@helpfulperson that only applies if you aren't talking about someone who has lost their job or is now on furlough.

I get why everyone wants their money back. However, they may never get to go on their holiday if they do pursue it as there will be no cheap package deals to be had.

@WickedlyPetite
It’s supply and demand it always has been and always will be like that not just for holiday companies
If you weren’t happy why did you pay the prices ????