TUI - anyone got a refund or flipped deposit to next year?

[jakeyboy1]

Hi
So we have to pay our holiday off next week. It's a lot and we are worried about our jobs. I know the advice is to pay but I don't want TUI having £5k of my money that I may need with no guarantee of when the holiday will be.

Has anyone who is paid in full managed to get a refund rather than credit?

OR

Has anyone managed to move their deposit to next year without having to pay the full balance?

Thanks

[DuckyMcDuck]

Well done - they offered us an extra £200 if we rebooked for next year but it just doesn't work for us.

[Spaceman1]

I managed to get the same holiday next year for the same price but only with the £500 discount.

[Spaceman1]

Thanks for the heads up @DuckyMcDuck. I received the same email today too.

I'm relieved the holiday has been cancelled as well. The idea of social distancing on the flight and holiday didn't sound like it would be much fun. Hopefully things will improve next year.

[DuckyMcDuck]

Hi @Spaceman1 Got an email this morning cancelling our holiday (no surprise and a relief actually).

They've offered the options to

• book again within 15 days and get an extra up to £500
  
• book again up to Oct '21 and get 10% incentive
  

Or get back everything we have paid so far.

So we should get all our money back if we don't want to rebook.

Hopefully, you've got (or will get very soon) the same email but thought it may be helpful for others too.

[Spaceman1]

Thanks @ DuckyMcDuck, it's good to know we'll get the deposit back if they cancel.

[DuckyMcDuck]

We're in exactly the same position @Spaceman1, due to fly to Greece on 21 July. We have decided we don't want to go this year, for a number of reasons can't rebook for next year and so we're just waiting and hoping they'll cancel so we can get the deposit back or we're resigned to forfeiting the deposit.

It's less than 5 weeks away so I'm assuming they're going to have to do something soon.

[Spaceman1]

I have a two week holiday to Greece booked for 25 July. I have paid my small initial deposit. I now have to choose between:

1. re-book for next year but prices up by 20%
2. pay balance and either holidays goes ahead but may be quite different with social distancing and quarantine or cancelled and get 20% discount voucher for next year (so same price as this year!)
3. Lose my deposit.

Not sure what to do?!

[ScorpionQueen]

They've updated and cancelled up to 10 July for most holidays, or November for cruisers and September for lakes and mountains.
I'm supposed to be going to Cuba, their borders are shut until at least 1st August but Tui haven't cancelled yet. I'm waiting for them to contact me.

[Mitzdob]

For those moving to next year - we had all our discount codes removed because they were not valid for 2021 bookings - so the 'free' amendments cost us over £500

[Ilovebanoffeepie]

You can try Facebook Messenger however I messaged Monday and still waiting for a reply!!

[jakeyboy1]

Does anyone have a contact for TUI other than phone?

[jjejj]

Yes that's true, I moved my holiday from August this year to next year and didn't have to pay to amend it. Deposit moved over to the next holiday. I think they are desperate to keep people's bookings.

[jakeyboy1]

I've read online that you can now move an aug holiday for free - after we paid £200 last week! Cannot yet see it on their T&C's though.

[Mitzdob]

How are you all getting on with sorting your holidays out.

I got through to TUI today.

I questioned if we chose not to go due to 14 day quarantine rule, would we get a refund. The answer was no.

Final payment due soon - just don't know what to do.

Would like to move to next year but DH concerned about job etc.

[Bubblebee7]

They are busy changing their terms & conditions so you can’t get a refund because the pool/buffet etc

Has this been confirmed with TUI?

[20Newnames]

Brilliant, very pleased for you!

[Kenworthington]

I got through!!! An hour and a half on the phone but have managed to move holiday to next year, same place, upgraded room but £600 cheaper! Result!

[Kenworthington]

Aha great top tip I’ll try that thanks!

[20Newnames]

@Kenworthington

No there is no email address that works. I found one eventually and it got bounced back with an auto reply saying they weren’t even reading them.

I have only paid the basic deposit so don’t much care if I lose it. Obviously I would rather have it back but it was £250 in total so it’s not the end of the world. I would be more careful in your case if I had more to lose.

I found on the phone queue the only option that didn’t cut me off and let me join a queue was to say I wanted to make a payment. Then I just waited in that queue until I got through.

Good luck!

[Kenworthington]

To be honest I wouldn’t even mind losing the basic deposit (400??) and cancelling and getting a refund on what we’ve already paid. Has anyone successfully found an email contact for them?

[Kenworthington]

@20Newnames ah ok. I’m impressed you’ve managed to join a phone queue! What will happen if we don’t/ can’t pay the balance I. Time thoigh? I’m worried if I don’t pay it I’ll lose everything we’ve paid (more than the deposit- we’ve paid about £1700 with 1500 left to pay)

[blue25]

They are busy changing their terms & conditions so you can’t get a refund because the pool/buffet etc are closed so beware. We’ve cancelled and taken the hit on the deposit.

[20Newnames]

@Kenworthington
I wouldn’t hurry to do anything as yet.
I have two in-store booked trips in mid June and early July. I have only paid the deposits on both. I actually wanted to cancel both as I was willing to lose the deposit but wanted certainty on it.

First time I phoned I was on hold for 4 hours then got cut off! Second time I tried it was 1.5hrs then I got through to someone who was really helpful. She actually said not to cancel but to wait and see if they cancelled as then I would get my deposits back.

I asked if there was any chance I would have to pay more (than I already have) to cancel if the holiday was actually going ahead and I didn’t want to go. She said if that was the case I would just lose my deposit. (Whereas paperwork says about a sliding scale of cancellation charges, she said that wouldn’t apply).

Interestingly enough my holiday to Menorca for mid/late June is still available to book today

[Kenworthington]

Please please please can you give tips on how you can even get to speak to someone?! I’m so frustrated. I’ve been ringing for weeks. We too are due to pay our last payment on our aug holiday and would be happy to move to next year, can’t afford the balance right now because now on 50% salary. Well we could put it on credit card but rather not. Because I don’t think any holiday will be happening. But I just cannot get through. Or I get through then go through the whole automated thing then it cuts me off gahhhh. Even if I wanted to, I can’t pay the balance. I can’t even find the paper work that tells me the exact date I need to pay it. Tried Ammending I like as a pp suggested, but it won’t let me do that either as we booked in store. Oh . My. God. Please someone help me with it 😩😩

[reluctantbrit]

We opted for a refund (Virgin Holiday though) after reading the fine print of our travel insurance. They clearly state that amendments to holidays post lockdown are not covered if a holiday is cancelled due Covid.

With a pricetag of over £10k we didn't want to risk anything, even moving it to next year.

I would try to avoid vouchers as there are reports that they will become useless if the travelcompany goes bust.