Profiteering?

Aveline

Let's think. The interest on £400 for a year is microscopic.
I suppose it's asking too much to have a heart. Who'd own a holiday let?! "

That’s not the fundamental point and you know it. They are cheating the OP who, as far as I know, is not a registered charity

Let's think. The interest on £400 for a year is microscopic.
I suppose it's asking too much to have a heart. Who'd own a holiday let?! "

I wonder how the apologists for businesses breaking the law would react to benefit claimants doing the same because they’ve had a hard year? Hummmmm You sock it to them Daisy?

suzie - now there's a thought - all they did was clear my week on the computer and send out an email or two. In fact they didn't even bother to inform me that it had been re-let, I saw it online and contacted them.

Many companies have had thousands of pounds from the government to support them through this time. I don't really want to subsidise them further as they have not had any losses through my booking in fact they are quids in as now they have another booking fee for the same week and a price hike to match! Plus of course my £400 deposit for 18 months, think they are doing nicely from my custom. Not that I intend to use them again.

Nothing to do with the present government just common decency.

Aveline

I suppose some people will never understand the problems others face and look for black and white solutions for everything.
Luckily not everyone is the same.

I understand that following the law matters but I fully understand that for some people eg the current government, this is seen as an optional extra.

I suppose some people will never understand the problems others face and look for black and white solutions for everything.
Luckily not everyone is the same.

Aveline

As if the hospitality business hasn't had a hard enough time over the past year. They've lost thousands. I wouldn't grudge them a penny as they try to recover.

Your choice. No excuse for breaking the law is there?

As if the hospitality business hasn't had a hard enough time over the past year. They've lost thousands. I wouldn't grudge them a penny as they try to recover.

Daisymae

Update - the accommodation has been relet with at increased rate - that's over 20 percent in the price we booked for last year. They are keeping the booking fee plus £50 admin. This despite the fact that we allowed them to hold the deposit from a previous 2020 cancellation that couldn't go ahead because of Covid. Feeling like I have given them an interest free loan for 18 months at a cost of £50 to me. But that's life.

If you were a really awkward sod like me, you’d challenge this. The law is that they cover their losses. I’d ask for written evidence of the calculation of the two charges they have made. Have you given us their name because I want to put them on my banned list ? Nice firm to do business with

It does seem unfair Daisymae but I’m glad they’re not to charge you for the full holiday.

Update - the accommodation has been relet with at increased rate - that's over 20 percent in the price we booked for last year. They are keeping the booking fee plus £50 admin. This despite the fact that we allowed them to hold the deposit from a previous 2020 cancellation that couldn't go ahead because of Covid. Feeling like I have given them an interest free loan for 18 months at a cost of £50 to me. But that's life.

Yammy

Don't be sorry Soozie woozy. You might know better or think you do but I know what happened to us, we booked through a large company and were told what I said. maybe I should have asked for your advice then.
Last year a big company did not offer a refund but offered to re-book the cottage for the same weeks this year we are getting near the dates for paying the balance and waiting to see if the other U.K.country will open up to travel from England and what will be offered.
It IS also true that some ongoing health problems affect your travel insurance premium have you tried to get one with them.

What I have posted on this thread is absolutely correct. I do not post this type of information without being certain as it would be irresponsible. Yes it is a pity you didn’t ask for my advise last year as many larger companies broke consumer law until the CMA took action against them. With the help of Which I got my ( large) deposit back despite the company at first refusing the refund by quoting the ( laughable) terns and conditions at me.
I don’t understand your comment about travel insurance - I’m fully aware that some ongoing health problems affect your travel insurance premiums and in some cases may mean you can’t get affordable cover or even any cover.

Daisy may.. I think cancelling due to illness is covered in the insurance, have you taken out the insurance cover offered with the holiday?

Don't be sorry Soozie woozy. You might know better or think you do but I know what happened to us, we booked through a large company and were told what I said. maybe I should have asked for your advice then.
Last year a big company did not offer a refund but offered to re-book the cottage for the same weeks this year we are getting near the dates for paying the balance and waiting to see if the other U.K.country will open up to travel from England and what will be offered.
It IS also true that some ongoing health problems affect your travel insurance premium have you tried to get one with them.

Are you not able to advertise the booking yourself on social media at the price you paid and ask for the full amount to be paid to you immediately on booking. Just a suggestion seeing that staycations are going to be in high demand.

There was an article in the Daily Mail yesterday on rights when cancelling bookings ....mostly concerned air travel and package holidays .....did you book with credit card ? you MAY be able to claim if the letting has to be cancelled through ill health .....you can also check where you booked it (online ? agent ?) website to see if it is being offered and if it is let again ...(in case the person letting it doesn't tell you !)....otherwise, it looks like a case of goodwill on the part of the owner ...good luck !

‘ Cornish Cottages on-line’ haven’t increased their prices at all. I should know as I’m an owner and have let through them for twenty years. They are very fair.

You are unlucky we had to cancel for ill health and received 100 per cent back. Suziewoozie might we have a good point

Jang what a refreshing post. Last year the big scandals involved the big companies like Sykes and the CMA eventually took very harsh action against these companies and made them refund individuals. This year, anything covid related in terms of government imposed restrictions is now much clearer in terms of renters’ rights.

I own a holiday apartment and have during CV allowed people to cancel either given them their money back or moved bookings for them... and have NOT inflated/increased my rental costs for this year.. It is my business but I want people to come back and not feel ripped off. Yes I have lost money but I have to take that hit on the chin.. as have all holiday/hospitality companies over this last year.

Travel insurance doesn’t cover everything but yes it covers a lot It’s not relevant or helpful in this particular situation and doesn’t let owners of cottages not following the law off the hook.

This is why you should have travel insurance?

Yammy

Pre Covid we booked a fortnight in a cottage in Britain. Due to ongoing ill health, we were going to cancel about a month before the holiday and was told if they could not relet we would not get any of our money back[We had already paid the balance]. I asked what the chances of reletting would be and got a non-comital answer. We decided not to cancel and allowed a relation to go and come away as they liked.
These rules have always been there if you read the .small print
We are in the same position yet again last year we were offered the chance to defer the booking to this year now we are waiting to see if the country will be open to English travellers for our dates.
Beware if you name some illnesses as reasons not to travel your travel insurance will be much higher the following year, we have been caught with this as well.

Sorry but this is inaccurate and therefore not helpful. If you book a cottage and then have to cancel you are of course liable to pay up but and this is a big but the owners have first to mitigate their losses. This would mean readvertising in a timely manner ie as soon as they received your cancellation. Any reasonable evidenced costs of readvertisinv would of course be chargeable - as I said I paid the £40 agency fee. It doesn’t matter one jot what any small print says. Much of it is unfair and ignores basic consumer law. If the readverising is done properly and the cottage is not relet, then of course you pay up. Although there is still a debate to be had about what the actual loss is as it may not be the same as the rent ( but that’s another story)