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!

Rollergirl11 I cancelled mine online a couple of weeks ago and it didn’t ask me for the balance then and I’ve received nothing from TUI. I did think they would automatically take the remainder of the balanced from my credit card but they haven’t yet.

@Rollergirl11 and others not paying the rest of deposit, have you actually clicked through to cancel it? I chickened out as it said it would cost 800 and I thought this might mean I agreed to the charge. So I just left it. Have you done the same or have you cancelled?

SunshineOutdoors I actually cancelled mine

@SunshineOutdoors I actually can’t get on to my booking at all from the Tui website or the app. I have had the same screen saying experiencing technical difficulties for the last month! So I can’t pay the balance, amend the holiday or cancel even if I wanted to. I have screenshots and I’m planning on using that to my advantage if they try and start court proceedings.

I've had an email to say I should be paying the rest of my deposit too. They must have reminded everyone this week!
It said I could ring to pay or pay online. I rang the number and it said they weren't taking any calls! What's a girl to do

I’ve just received another reminder email from Tui. I’ve so far only paid the £200 pounds initial deposit. Second part of deposit was due around a week ago and full balance (around 4K) due next weekend. I’m still doing nothing......

I was meant to pay the rest of my low deposit 27th April (£600) For the holiday that I’ve moved to next year instead.

Haven’t had any emails asking for payment and just checked on my booking and the deposit payment remainder has gone.

Just says to pay the remainder before June 2021.

Not sure if it’s an error or not?

@Jedstre same here. Hold your nerve! 👊💪🏻

I am indeed holding my nerve @Rollergirl11 you’ve inspired me

The final balance for my holiday was due on the 29th April. I booked instore and can't access my booking online. I've had no emails or letters asking for payment and won't spend hours trying to ring them.

Up until the day payment was due, the website said not to worry, it could be done when stores reopen. Then on payment day they updated the website to give a phone number to pay. Not that you can get through.

I'm glad I took screenshots, I'll wait for them to contact me or for the store to reopen.

Ive booked for Christmas, paid £500, £500 due in June the rest in November. I'm hoping we'll be good to go.

@GingerFoxInAT0phat - can you remember when you amended your holiday did the promotional discount show before you confirmed the amendment.
We had an original promotional discount but when I get to review and confirm there’s no discount coming off.

Nearlyadoctor, I can’t remember what the original promotional discount was before I amended it. The holiday did go up by about £100 when I changed it, but still shows as £150 promotional discount after the amendment.

However I’ve just put the same holiday dates in and they’ve now taken the free child place off so the same holiday would be £700ish to book now.

I’m not sure what’s happened to the rest of my low deposit, it’s like they’ve just added it to my final balance.

£700ish more to book now that should say.

Thanks @GingerFoxInAT0phat - I think I’m just going to sit tight, as I said previously our identical holiday for next year is over £1400 more and no promotional discount when I try to amend etc.
It’s to the USA, no child place to be taken into account, and I’m not convinced I want to risk going even next year.
I would have taken a chance for a couple of hundred more.

I've just changed our booking to next year (through the app as I was having troubles with the website last night).
We weren't charged for moving it, and now have until 10th May 2021 to pay the balance, (we were due to pay £4200 tomorrow).

Just out of interest, all those that have moved holidays back to next year, what are you planning to do for travel insurance as anything to do with corona won’t be covered?

My booking reference didn't change @Rollergirl11 .
I checked first and if it did, I was still covered for illness, just not disruption. I don't feel like I'm in a worse position, I'll lose my deposit next year instead of this if I can't travel but I don't have to pay anymore until May 2021.

@holidayheadache but surely your existing policy will have expired by your new dates?

It's a policy with my bank so starts and ends when the account does.

Do not pay any more as you will get vouchers, not money back. Do not pay the second £250. According to citizens advice they should attempt to resell the holiday and should only charge what your booking and cancellation has actually cost them in admin expenses. In my case I booked and cancelled online, which can’t cost very much, and have given them months of notice to try rebooking. Therefore I do not think a cancellation charge of £500 is reasonable. The date to pay the rest of the deposit passed 3 days ago and I have heard nothing further from Tui. This is an extract from the citizens advice website -

The company should only charge you the amount they’ll lose - they should try to sell the holiday to someone else. If you think they’re charging too much, ask how they worked out the cancellation fee.

So now the government have said that shouldn’t book holidays abroad for this year and while social distancing is in place and have also said will need to self-isolate for 2 weeks after any travel, I wonder when the travel companies are going to cancel further holidays...

My full balance is due tomorrow. Waiting to see what TUI do when I don’t pay. 😳🤭

@Rollergirl11 mine is due tomoro too 😬

@Jedstre what happened to your final payment?

I started calling last week although we hadn't gotten a refund voucher email at that point but saw online that our half term holiday was cancelled. After 200 plus calls, DH got through on Tuesday. He was on hold for an hour and was told that they would refund to my credit card but couldn't refund all at once. Dh couldn't really get out why that was but something to do with me havin paid in 3 installments, low deposit, deposit topup and balance.
The balance payment was refunded on Thursday but no sign of the low deposit or deposit topup, almost £400.
I can't get hold of them again for clarification and our booking has now disappeared from the app.