TUI low deposit - August holiday

[holidayheadache]

Another holiday one - sorry!

I've got a long haul holiday booked for the end of August through TUI. So far I have only paid £250 but as this is part of the low deposit scheme, a second deposit payment is due at the end of the month of an additional £250.

I'm under no illusion that this holiday will go ahead unfortunately. Does anyone know what will happen if I don't pay this? I understand that they can go to small claims court but is this realistic under the circumstance?

It seems ridiculous for us to pay money for something we're highly unlikely to benefit from.

Thanks!

Keep paying. If they cancel (or go bust) you get your money back. If they don't cancel it means you can go on the holiday. Win win.

I had a holiday booked for June next year and I was due to make my first direct debit payment on 4th April.

I decided to cancel my direct debit rather than the holiday on my TUI app as they wanted £1000 deposit immediately (in the t&c of £0 deposit if dd is cancelled). I had a text to say "final reminder to pay" but I didn't and just left it and was prepared to take the risk of them chasing me for the money. However I got an email confirming the holiday was cancelled and it broke down that I was given a cancellation fee override so I don't have to pay anything.

I didn't want to phone as I know how busy they have been trying to deal with customers due to fly during the next couple of weeks/months.

I've added a photo of my email...

The only problem with keeping paying is that they are starting to pay back in vouchers which will be worth jackshit if they go bust or as others are finding out the holidays for next year have greatly increased so they've received vouchers for the price they've paid for a holiday to them have to pay even more to actually be able to use the vouchers.

Thank for your replies - very helpful @munchmunch
I don't want to risk paying the balance because I don't want to be in a position to just get vouchers which is the current rumour.
Obviously we'd love to still go on the holiday but that's increasingly unlikely, particularly long haul I think, and it's money we can't afford to lose.
I was hoping that there would be some sort of common sense from them and it looks like there's some hope!

You won't get vouchers back for a holiday THEY cancel. It's cash. Ignore those rumours.

For a holiday YOU cancel you could get vouchers.

It sounds like you a very nervous about it and that it might be worth cancelling now and writing off the £250.

I'm in the same situation. We paid a low deposit £50 each for an August holiday. The rest of our deposit £450 is due tomorrow. I rang them last week to ask and they told me they may take me to court if I don't pay it. I don't want to pay but am worried now about what to do. I don't want to go away in August now. Not sure if I should pay it or not.

Do not give Tui any more money, there are loads of people waiting for refunds, I have been waiting a month!

They can’t take you to court, under their t&c you would only lose your deposit as you would be cancelling > 70 days prior to departure. I paid £150 deposit to fly in July to Mallorca. The balance is due later this month which I won’t be paying. I’d rather lose £150 than hand over several thousand that I will then have to chase to get back.

jimmyhill I don't know about TUI and holiday companies, but I'm currently to get a refund from Air France for flights they cancelled. They want to offer vouchers which can be refunded after a year and are trying to get the backing of Govt to ignored EU law on refunding cancellations.
There's no way I would be giving any more money to any travel firm with the expectation that a refund would be forthcoming.

Link to their T&C

@cuddling57 I think there are a lot of people in our position. We still can't decide what to do.
@iheartNiles unfortunately the terms of the 'low deposit' are that you only pay part of the deposit immediately. The rest of the deposit is the next payment.

I cancelled with jet 2 for June. It meant writing off the deposit. I think it would probably be cancelled anyway but I didn't want to pay an additional £2000 in the current climate as I thought that even though I would be legally entitled to a refund if they cancelled it's extraordinary times and I think I may end up with vouchers or nothing If they go bust. I can afford to lose £200 but not £2000. ALS I wasn't sure I wanted to go just in case travel was allowed

I am in the same situation, have so far just paid £200 low deposit for a holiday beginning of August. The rest of the deposit (£600) is due on Tuesday with the full balance due mid May. I’m not going to do anything, not pay anymore or cancel. I’m going to see what they do. They haven’t chased for payment so far. I actually am not able to access my booking at the moment to amend, make a payment or cancel so that’s what I’m going to say if they contact me. But I won’t be paying anymore and I’m willing to lose the £200.

Sorry didn’t say I’m with TUI also. And I have no travel insurance so really don’t want to pay anything more and rely on TUI refunding when the holiday doesn’t go ahead!

Is anyone else having trouble accessing their booking on the TUI website or app by the way? I’ve had the following error for the past week!

I would pay and wait for the refund.

@Rollergirl11 I can access my booking - it encourages me to make a payment!

@holidayheadache I wouldn’t. I would just do nothing at this point.
Where are you accessing your booking? When I click on the ‘Manage Booking’ link from my confirmation email I enter the Booking Ref, date of departure and Lead Surname and then get the error message. When I use the app it gets to the point of retrieving my holiday but then I get the same error when clicking on ‘Manage my booking’
I think I’m just going to do nothing and hope that TUI just cancel the holiday once I don’t make any more payments and I just lose my £200.

We’ve got a holiday booked for mid July with TUI. Paid £1,250 so far and balance of £1,300 still outstanding to pay in 2 weeks which I was going to pay so we get a refund but not so sure after reading this thread

Don't give them any money. They are not processing refunds at the moment, and if you look ahead the equivalent holidays for later in the year and next year have been ramped up in price.

They are a bunch of thieving bastards who are holding onto people's money illegally.

@Turnedouttoes given that you’ve paid out a lot more and roughly half of the cost of your holiday I think I would probably continue to pay. You have a lot more to lose than me if you cancel.

@Rollergirl11 I can get straight through to manage my booking without issue. I have had the same issue before though.

@Turnedouttoes I think I'd be inclined to pay the balance if I was in your position.

I'm not worried about losing the £250. I'm worried about having to pay another £250 effectively for nothing to avoid breaching my contract.

@holidayheadache that’s exactly my thinking. I don’t want to pay another £600 so as not to breach the contract when the chances are it won’t go ahead anyway. I’m banking on them not doing anything other than cancel the holiday if i make no further payments. They have enough to deal with trying to cancel/refund everyone else!

@Rollergirl11 fingers crossed! I think you're due to pay before me so please keep me posted!

No court will entertain this. Tui take you to court and you say, i didn't pay because it was Corona and needed to pay my mortgage... like every other person!

Another pissed off Tui customer here too! Meant to have been on a cruise last week. No refund in sight, in fact, they are skirting mentioning refunds in any correspondence. As pp have said, vouchers look increasingly likely. Except that next year's holidays have hiked astronomically in price. I believe Tui are stalling in order to get legislation through to refuse refunds.
If I was in your position OP, I would lose the £250 and walk away now.
As a pp said, they are thieving bastards whose senior management have handled this disgustingly and should be ashamed of themselves. We've cruised with them for years and years and will NEVER use them again. Good luck x