Sykes Holiday Cottages - refusing refunds

[inmylifeIlovedthemall]

I am wondering if anyone else is caught up in the ‘no refunds’ policy that Sykes Holiday cottages are adopting in relation to Coronavirus.

Despite Boris imploring us to stay at home and numerous representitives of the Travel Industry asking us not to travel to tourist hotspots, Sykes are refusing to allow cancellations and refund holiday payments. They are offering rebooking options, but at massively increased prices for the same period in 2021.

They have sold Insurance alongside their holidays, but those policies do not cover the current situation.

So for me the choice seems to be ‘do the right thing’ and stay home, losing the total cost of the holiday.

I was travelling to meet a group of friends & family and all have been able to cancel at no loss to themselves. It just appears to be Sykes taking this stance.

Is anyone else caught up in this? Are there other holiday companies taking the same stance?

I understand this is a minor problem in a grand scheme of things, but I am pissed off that there are people out there greedy and selfish enough to be making extra money off others right now instead of working together to try and find sensible options.

I understand this is a minor problem in a grand scheme of things, but I am pissed off that there are people out there greedy and selfish enough to be making extra money off others right now instead of working together to try and find sensible options.

I'm in the same position as many of you, with a UK holiday cottage booked. I could cancel now and lose the deposit, but even losing that would mean a significant financial loss - although at least I wouldn't have to pay the full fees.

My holiday is end of June - I'm not sure whether to cut my losses now and lose the deposit or wait and hope the situation improves so I can go on holiday after all .

WWYD?

If it were me I would not be paying the remainder of the deposit and if necessary cancel the card I used to make the initial deposit. So I would effectively default.

At the appropriate time, someone in my household would develop and cough meaning I could fill in the self isolation note.

Their information is out of date is my understanding is that 111 is no longer providing evidence? Might be worth checking.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

Just remember who all these scummy companies are and when we get through this ordeal stay away from them.

Have you considered that if they refunded everyone then their company would probably go under? Which would undoubtedly leave a lot of people without jobs. When push comes to shove their job is to protect their employees and preserve their jobs where possible. They should certainly not charge admin fees - but think for a moment about the effect this will have on the travel industry and how many jobs will be lost and what you would do if you were a boss of many employees with families and mortgages to pay, and your option was refund your entire high seasons bookings and see your company go under or have to charge cancellation fees 🤷‍♀️

Firsttimer16, in normal circumstances I'd absolutely agree with you. However, there are grants available and methods to achieve financial liquidity that have been put in place for businesses for that exact reason.

Pushing financial burden on to customers (or increasing it like in my case) most of whom are affected too really isn't the way to go right now.

What should happen is businesses taking all available help and us being flexible and not cancelling our custom but rescheduling if possible (i.e. if we can still afford it). Cancelling or claiming on insurance really will not help anyone long term and we all have to do the right thing and also work together.

My close friends running beauty businesses are severely affected too, but also disgusted with what I've told them and said they'd never dream to treat customers this way. It's just wrong.

@GhostofFrankGrimes I tried to ring them but was on hold so I emailed them on the holdmybooking email with reasons why I need a refund but I’ve had no reply.

Another day of seeking advice and trying to resolve this.

Sykes are not answering their phones or replying to emails.

Negative reviews on Truspilot (please consider posting a review) are met by a statement that there are no refunds allowed under the terms of their contract. What they are failing to address is that the contract is for a specific cottage on specific dates and it would be morally wrong for us to travel on those dates and risk spreading the virus.

They want us to rebook, but the only dates available are at the end of the year or, for my cottage, in 2022. I was travelling for a specific event and don’t want to rebook.

If Sykes had any faith in their brand we would be given a refund and allowed to make our own choices. They clearly prefer to bully us into staying with them and risk that they may actually fail in the meantime.

I really feel sorry for the Cottage owners that Sykes are behaving in this way. It will change my approach to holidaying in the UK in the future and they will inevitibly be the losers.

I suspect the PM will announce a lockdown tonight and this will put an end to dickish cottage owners' behaviours. They won't be able to provide the service ie they will have to refund you, or you can sue them.

Local communities and councils should be sorting them out. Yes, there are selfish people who descended on rural and coastal locations - disgusting. But there are just as many cottage and holiday let owners who allowed or actively encouraged them to come by not closing down and not showing any flexibility either. Point fingers at those within your local communities who are greedy and selfish too, it starts with them. They want to have their cake and eat it, have all the money they can from customers and either not get help that is on offer which they should taje up, or claim that too.

The cottage company we used plastered all over Facebook for everyone to stay safe and how they wish people sooo well and they're here to help and a number of other comments implying they're not accepting tourists now. This could not be further from the truth. Bunch of posers. I'd be raging if these cottages were in my neighbourhood.

I am actually raging.

I live in a tourist area and we have been inundated this week with Camper Vans and Caravans.

My village is full of strangers wandering around and I suspect that my tiny GP surgery and local Hospital will once again be packed to the gunnals if I need to go in.

That is why I feel so passionately about not travelling now and why I am so upset by the behaviour of Sykes.

They are shooting themselves in the foot. Before our lockdown and the worldwide situation I had cancellations ( I own an Italian travel agency). I have refdunded everyone who asked even June bookings, I have held others money as they are thinking about if to re book . I have held back €10 bank charges on refunds as that is what I am charged and should they rebook any time in teh future ...if I am still in business then I will take it off. NOTE In my household we have a current income of ZERO ..Its called good faith ....

I am booked with Sykes for 4 April. Obviously not going. Can't be arsed to contact them at the moment. More worried about my August holiday...

DH and I are both teachers so rebooking is not that straightforward dates wise.

They're being arses.

We have rebooked to October. No idea if it will go ahead. Same dates for next year was an extra £500. I simply will not use them again.

Losing our £600 deposit in Northern Italy for July. Tbh it is nothing compared to what is happening there.

Karwoman

I also emailed that address, filled in form on website, tried social media. Small print seems to suggest you must phone and send letter recorded delivery to cancel.

OP I'm sorry this is happening in your area.

Just watched the PM, this surely means they'll have to shut down immediately. I also hope the police will check driving licensed of all those who arrived in your area and enforce they go back home asap.

I'm a cottage owner for cottages.com
It's been an absolute nightmare, I want to cancel guests but can't as I would be fined.

Guests want to cancel but equally can't as would lose money.

Lost all respect for them as a company this week.

Really feel for you stayathomegardener

I think this will change the UK travel industry.

I book 2-3 cottages a year to go walking with friends. I am paying a lot of attention to which companies are behaving honourably and those that aren’t.

This will definitely change my booking behaviour. I will be booking later and avoiding companies like Sykes, Cottages.com in future.

I will be looking to book directly with owners in future and really scrutinising the contract to make sure it is fair.

I am hoping so as well PurpleRainGirl.

We have a large Stately Home locally which has Farm shops a Garden Centre etc, all of which are important to us as locals.

They wrote to us today to say that they were really sorry but they were having to close down because of the behaviour of people at the weekend.

Hopefully the Camper Vans / Caravans owners will get bored sitting in a field in the middle of the country with nothing to do and no food shops open locally.

And still it goes on.

Despite the Statement last night which means that holiday makers are now being told by the Government to stay at home, Sykes still refuse to refund money.

They are offering alternative weeks later in the year ir next year, but at massively inflated prices.

Unbelievable and incredibly short sighted !!

Someone needs to get them trending on Twitter. Worked for other companies.

I've booked a caravan in Keswick with Low Briery Holidays. They've not put anything on their website, nor social media, not answering emails or phone calls. I assume that means they are just burying their heads in the sand hoping we will go away and kiss goodbye to £600. It's fucking ludicrous. How can they just pretend it's not happening when they are quite obviously closed down now?

I just wanted to give praise to John Fowler Holidays. I have a break booked with them (and fully paid for) in August this year.

Their website states that if you are unable to reschedule your break with them, they will offer a full refund.

Although I’m still hoping to go in August, I will happily reschedule to later this year or 2021.

If you’ve so far only paid £20 then obviously stop the direct debit for the rest with your bank! Or if it’s card details you gave cancel card just incase. Don’t let them take the rest.

I'm wondering whether or not to cancel my card. We are due to pay about £5000 in June for the balance on an August holiday. Big family group including elderly people and an expectant mum. I'm not sure I'll want to rock up in a small town in Wales with 20+ people, seems pretty irresponsible even if travel is relaxed by then. Re-scheduling is quite difficult with such a big group, people's circumstances change. I'd love to just cancel tbh but would be liable for what would have been the deposit (£1000+ I'm guessing). I've paid £20 on a low deposit offer plus money for their (seemingly useless) insurance policy so far.

What will be the repercussions if I cancel the card and default?

I've had a nightmare with them. Booked cottage as attending wedding in area (last weekend). Wedding was cancelled and national govt. said do not travel / use holiday homes. Not able to refund and the cottage is booked for the rescheduled wedding date, I asked to amend my booking for another place in the area.... can't be done. All of the dates are an extra 500 pounds for the 3 days... go through every date in the calendar and they eventually find a date which is the same price as I have already paid. Confirmation email comes through and £337 has been taken out of my account to pay the difference in bookings. Fuming! Can't get through on the phone and stressing out about the money withdrawn!