Trying to cancel booking using 7 day distance selling

[SometimesYouCantWin]

Made a bit of a cock up in booking a Villa through a company called Novasol on Sunday. Unfortunately, we can't actually go on the dates booked (yes I know that's the cock up) so trying to cancel. We did pay in full but they are saying no refund available.

The question is can we cancel using the 7 day distance selling regs? The website is registered in this country but it's a massive European company based in Denmark. Have we royally screwed up here?

Any advice would be really appreciated.

I thought the distance selling regulations (which I thought were 14 days) didn’t apply to certain things, holidays being one

Can you move the holiday to a different date?

https://image.novasol.com/site/terms/nov/2023/terms-uk.pdf?gl=11cvx1s7s7gclauuMTIzNTU3NDQxNS4xNjg3Mjg5OTg0g0gaMTAwNDYyNzM3Mi4xNjg3Mjg5OTgzzgaa64GK8876W2MTY4NzI4OTk4Mi4xLjEuMTY4NzI4OTk5Ni40OC4wLjA..fplc*SlJZbU9hZ2h6UmZQU21HaWl3JTJGa3VPOW56b2xTazNyZDNJc3NURjMxNDBFcFprJTJCRkRuJTJCVkowRDhZUnYxN1VnNEF3b3lTYUlJSThaMEROZ0F3TmRlMzhwJTJCcktSeDBCN2U5WEd5ejROcVNpamZOZ1pmc3lIMGRnMXd1OW02eGclM0QlM0Q.&&ga=2.202093975.747706766.1687289984-1004627372.1687289983

^^ that's the terms and conditions for 2023, see part 6.

Looks like 10%, 25% and 100% depending on notice starting with 70 days notice

Thanks for the responses. It's really helpful although, probably not what I wanted to hear as not looking good for us.

Looking online is a complete minefield - some saying that so long as it's not a package holiday then 7 day distance selling regs apply but I suspect I'm grasping at anything that will make me feel better.

Going by their own T&C's we won't get a refund as booked in six weeks time - massive cock-up as we got carried away with it at the weekend.

I'll see if possible to transfer to someone else but major lesson learnt even though I feel sick and doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight cursing myself for being a fool.

Anyway, thanks for the help - really appreciated.

Which country were you meant to be traveling to ?

It was in Italy.

What has actually happened is that DP is Italian and we had booked an appointment with the consulate today to renew his passport (I know seems like last minute but it is literally 5 months waiting list for an appointment but they have always issued the passport on the same day before). Anyway, they weren't happy with one of his documents so we have to come back with another piece of paperwork - but this involves booking a new appointment in 5 months time.

This is why we feel really foolish as just making the assumption the passport would have been issued today.

As it may be at least 5 months now to get the passport I don't think it will be possible to change the date.

Also it was one of the few times we get to see his elderly mum and she's going to be gutted we won't get to see her for some time now.

I like to think that we are not normally this bad at organising things but we just got carried away having had a bit of a stressful time recently - and ended up making things worse.

Ah ok I was going to give you my experience of dealing with novasol in Spain. Basically I did get my money back from them after asking to see their complainants book (it's a big deal here they don't ever want you to write in the book 😂). It was a different situation though that the villa wasn't as described.
I don't really know what to suggest 🤔 yeah you made a mistake but we all make them don't beat yourself up !. They could have let you cancel it especially this time of year places will be in demand. Is going through your bank an option? Otherwise yeah maybe try sell it on Facebook or something?

Is it possible to appeal to the consulate with regards to your husbands mother being elderly and in declining health and that he needs to get over there to see her ?

Is your DP registered with AIRE? Could he not just go to his local commune in Italy and renew his passport at the questura? My DH did that and it was a same day thing.

Also, your DP doesn’t need a passport to enter Italy; he can enter using his ID card. As long as he has settled status in the UK, he has the right to re enter the UK afterwards with his ID card. My DH forgot his passport once, and was fine entering UK with ID card and settled status.

I don't think you're allowed to enter the UK with your ID card any more. But I imagine you can still enter Italy on it. If you could guarantee to be able to replace the passport while you're away (!) then you could return on that though.

You can enter the UK on your ID card if you have settled status. My DH has done it when he’d forgotten his passport. It’s best to print off a copy of the confirmation of settled status, though.

OP, this is from UK Gov page; confirmation that your partner can enter UK with ID card. I’d print this off, too.

@oriunda that's good, I genuinely thought that had changed (and you might be telling an old story about a forgotten passport). Surely that's fine for the op then...