Travel Insurance and U.K. Holiday

[KatyaZamolodchikova]

We’re due to go to Scotland for a week in two weeks’ time. Hoseasons who we have booked through will not cancel our booking without us losing all our money. They are only offering to move our stay to another date in the next 12 months. To do this however we will need to pay the difference in costs, and they have increased all their prices. Additionally the insurance will not cover us for the new dates if we do this.

We have worldwide travel insurance with our bank account (Nationwide). They are advising that customers can claim for cancellation of a trip if the FCO advise against all but essential travel to your intended destination, as long as you are travelling within 28 days and the advice wasn't in place when you booked the trip or purchased your insurance.

Does the current domestic advice mean we can claim? The government have advised against all non-essential travel generally so does that count? The advice on the website is geared toward travel abroad and not domestically and I don’t want to clog up the phone lines unnecessarily. Ideally Hoseasons would cancel and give us a full refund but that seems increasing unlikely.

Can anyone offer any insight?

Hoseasons should be ashamed of themselves. Sorry you're in this predicament. What type of place is it you're going to? If it's a holiday village type place, with maybe a leisure complex/clubhouse type facilities, surely they will no longer be available as government has told them to close. Would this therefore make the holiday 'not fit for purpose'? Could be an argument to use with Hoseasons. If there's any facilities that they can no longer provide to you, that were ordinarily available when you booked, this would surely weaken their argument?

I have no insight but honestly I think either Hoseasons will be forced to cancel it or the government will order a complete lockdown which should then enable you to claim. I think you will know one way or the other by the end of this week. It's so hard not knowing what's going to happen next.

I'd wait for a complete lock down. Then claim

Sit tight.
Highly likely hoseasons or the government will make this impossible before you are due to go, and so a full refund will be heading your way.

Thank you all.

Yes @PrincessConsuelaBananahamm0ck Hoseasons should be ashamed of themselves. Their Facebook page is blowing up, and they are pretty much uncontactable at the moment and it’s irresponsible.

We’re actually going to a tiny site, with very little there and pretty rural, otherwise the lack of facilities argument might work, but they’re already ignoring that argument from others on their Facebook page.

I’m pleased you’re all saying sit tight. That’s what I’ve been planning on doing but the closer it gets the harder that is to do! I can’t really afford to lose the money and definitely can’t afford to rebook either so I guess it’s just wait and see.

FWIW we have been told very similar by another self catering company. We have only paid the deposit but balance was due and we said we couldn’t go. They said we can rebook but must be the same property and within a year and pay the extra charge of another week. We booked it in term time as I’m a teacher on maternity leave and the property is far too expensive for us on school holidays and I’m soon back to work so that chances of us getting there now are next to zero. I was somewhat surprised when she said we could still go as it was self catering and would drive ourselves down there. I understand the logic but what on earth will be do once we’re there other than stay in the house and go to places only where we can avoid people!

To be fair, we could still go, and social distance. We can take films and board games, and the guitars and go for walks as it’s pretty isolated. But we’re trying to take others into account and we don’t want to contribute to overwhelming local services, supermarkets, etc. Also I am a key worker in the water industry and it would be much more helpful if my holiday is cancelled for me to continue working. I WFH but there is no WiFi where we’re going so I can’t even take my laptop.

No no no. Don't go. You stay at home, even if you never see a penny of it again.

Yes @crustycrab. That’s exactly what I said. We are not going, even though we could. I’m just trying to work out how best to manage not going.

At the moment, do nothing, but count yourself as not going, unless you think that you are immune to this killer virus. If this was a horror film, we'd all be shouting at the screen, thinking why are people so stupid and do the opposite to what they are told. We'd turn off because it's so unbelievable.

It's either going to be, claim off your present insurance, or Hoeseasons will do a turnabout.

Personally, I'd be getting the MP of where the site is, to get involved. They are putting residents at risk.

We are in a similar boat also with hoseasons. Mid week break in lake district. They've closed the bar/restaurant and presumably the small gym. That's why we chose that particular site rather than the sister site we usually go to. It meant we had to choose a smaller cabin with less facilities so as to fit in our budget. Obviously we can't go but I'm holding tight for now as far as cancelling or rebooking. I bought a seperate single trip insurance but I'll need to check what we can claim for. I've had it, DH currently has it and Adult DS1 is still half way through his 14 days. The problem really is DS2 who we've not been able to collect from Uni, he'll only be able to complete 7 days before we are due to go. Could happily isolate him in the cabin but not really fair to risk local services and tbh all travel might be banned by then anyway.

Again we’re NOT going. But my question was about if we can claim on our insurance if Hoseasons refuse a refund. Specifically taking into account the wording from the insurance as in my original post. We are NOT going.

Did you buy hoseasons own insurance OP? I bought a stand alone policy.

I guess all we can do is see what it covers and what evidence you need.

If it covers illness, I wonder if you could download one of the self isolation certificates from the health website and use that to claim?

I'm doing what PP also said in that I'm sitting it out for another week anyway to see what happens. Thus is such a fluid situation so who knows what will happen in the next week.

I didn’t buy Hoseasons insurance thank god, if their attitude to insurance is anything like their attitude to holidays.

Nicola Sturgeon has now said that campsites/self catering in Scotland should shut. Does anyone know if this means Hoseasons have to offer a refund or can they still insist on only offering a rearrange? I assume if that is the case I can then cancel the booking and claim my money back from either my credit card or insurance?

If you can’t get a refund then take the voucher and hang on for a while

Prices are going to drop because consumer confidence is going to be at an all time low after this

They’ve only increased them now in the hope that some people are stupid enough to book them

We can’t take the voucher and hang on! This was the only holiday time we could get all together (me, DH & DSD) we have a manic year and can’t arrange any time off over summer! None of us want to spend a week in a cabin in Scotland in the cold season either!

Plus, if we change dates we’ll no longer be covered by our insurance!

we have a manic year and can’t arrange any time off over summer!

I don’t think anyone knows at the stage what plans may or may not happen this year.......

I think it’s fair enough that hotels etc are offering rebooking within 12 months - why should they take the full hit of refunding everyone?

As for travel insurance, every company has different terms so you’d need to check with your specific one but I wouldn’t rely on the FCO option if you’re not leaving the UK - conceptually it doesn’t seem logical that it would apply

I've just had an email saying that the park in the Lakes "has closed temporarily" and that they will contact me to re-arrange the booking. I'm pretty sure if they can't honour the booking then they will have to refund? I'm perfectly happy to go back and to use them again at some point, but I have no idea when that will be as DH is also an NHS worker so I'm unwilling at this point to rebook. Vouchers are not protected in this country in the same way as money so I don't want to take a voucher.

And like you OP I took a single trip insurance that wont cover re-arranged dates so that will be money lost. It also has an excess that will not be refunded if I claim.

I have stayed with this specific group at least 6 times, I've always been happy with them so I know I will spend my money with them again. I just don't want a valueless voucher.

I know it's not UK relevant, but we're due to go on a cruise in May. Of course it isn't going to happen but my travel agent has told us nobody no matter what will get a refund. We will get to change to another date, other than that you lose money. Insurances are now saying it's a pandemic so not sure they'll pay out. Total nightmare.

I'm in the same position. Was waiting for government to say we can't go so it would result in a refund. Turns out that's not possible, can only change dates and insurance say I'm not covered for cancellation due to FCO advice (or covered if I did go and went against FCO advice either!) Wasn't a cheap policy and thought I was doing the sensible thing getting cover even in the U.K.
Totally gutted 🙁

@We1shBird who was your policy with if you don't mind me asking? I think I am going to cancel and lose the money then hope my insurance will pay out.

If the site is closed, surely they have to offer you a refund?

Traveltime insurance. They got good reviews and were reasonably priced, neither over the top nor dirt cheap.
I paid on my credit card so apparently that affords you some protection too, looking into that. I think if you cancel because you don’t want to go then you aren’t covered but if they have no choice but to cancel then that’s different. Like you, I don’t really want to move dates, I just want out!

Ours is a holiday cottage through cottages.com so even though it’s impossible for us to go, the website and owners cottages are not closed. Crazy. You’d think that it would be simple: gov says no travel therefore automatically closed.