Holiday cottage cancelled- any advice?

[Sipperskipper]

Booked a holiday cottage in Cornwall for first week of summer holidays through a reputable company. We made the booking last July, paid a 50% deposit. Booked a specific week as going with 2 x other families and staying in the same harbour town.

Today received a call from the rental company saying the owner had sold the property so they need to cancel our booking. Refunded our deposit, but all their other cottages are fully booked so cannot offer us anything else.

Have since tried to book similar cottages either other companies but there is very little, and prices have skyrocketed since we booked!

Is there anything I can do? Should they be offering me some sort of compensation? I am so annoyed!

It's frustrating (same happened to me a few years ago) but as far as I know all they are required to do is refund you. Not quite the same, but if an event is cancelled and you have paid for travel and accommodation then they are only required to refund the ticket cost, not any additional costs incurred, so I guess a similar principle is applied here.

Sorry to say you have suffered no loss, I believe they only have to refund you to put you back to where you started, which they have done. Give the local tourist board a call as some times good places are not always on the big sites.
This is fab
shorebreakcornwall.co.uk
www.oneatlanticwatch.co.uk

I recommend joining the Facebook group "Cornwall & Devon direct" and booking direct with an owner. You can put a post up saying your dates & location & number of beds (& budget if you like) and owners will get back to you.

I have a holiday cottage and this is how I do all my advertising, I'm not on any of the big sites, lots of owners operate like this. You also get cheaper rates as we don't pay commission to the companies.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone, appreciate all your help.

I'd be annoyed too! I have sent you a PM

What's the cancellation policy in the contract?