Holiday homes cancellations
Cornwall Council has received a steady stream
of enquiries from members of the public concerning the cancellation of
holidays booked here in Cornwall and the Isles
of Scilly.
So far we have found that it has simply been a
case of holiday companies being swamped with enquiries from customers
and accommodation owners and there has been
no indication that they are deliberately trying to avoid offering a
solution.
Where customers have registered a request for
cancellation or rebooking those requests are being honoured, but it
might take a bit longer than expected due to reduced
staff and the volume of enquiries.
In fact, most holiday companies are very keen to rebook customers as they are hoping to recover business later in the season.
But these are very unusual circumstances and
specific legislation may provide different rights and obligations. If
anyone is unsure about what to do about a holiday
booking in the first instance:
- Check the small print on your booking – what does it say about cancellation due to Government intervention?
- Check the small print on your travel insurance – will your booking be covered?
- Register your concerns with your holiday provider – are they working to a timetable (ie most imminent bookings first)? What are
they suggesting as a solution?
- If you paid for your holiday by credit card you may have additional protection through the credit card provider.
If you do still need further advice or
information about cancelling a booking due to Covid-19 please call the
Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 or
contact Cornwall Council Trading Standards at businesscompliance@cornwall.gov.uk
If
you believe that holiday accommodation might not be complying with the
new regulations then please contact Cornwall Council at:
businessadvice@cornwall.gov.uk