“If we receive your cancellation 8 weeks or less before your arrival date, and we have already received the amount due for Balance and the Breakages Deposit, we will refund to you that part of the total amount received from you that is in excess of the full rental amount.”

We were due to go to South Uist on 24th of this month but Mrs EGF is still in hospital after major surgery x2 & wev’e cancelled the holiday as it would be far too risky to travel there after what she’s had done.
We paid the balance of the holiday on or around 29th April but we cancelled around a week later (once we realised things were serious), IE 1st week in May.
The total price was £589 (which includes £100 breakage deposit & I realise we’ll get that back anyway)
I’m sure Mrs EGF has an email from the owner which says something like if the property isn’t re-booked we’ll get no refund except the £100 breakage deposit but if it gets re-booked we’ll get half back.
I’ve just looked & according to the website It’s still booked for the week we were due to go. We went 2 years ago & it’s usually booked a year in advance so I’m sure someone else will have nabbed it by now, unless the owner knows they have a weeks rental payment for no work involved.

Hope that made sense but if not please blame my mental state ATM.

I think it means that anything over and above the full rental amount will be refunded.

Meaning in this case, the breakages deposit.

Holiday insurance?

EGF, I can’t say much about your situation except that it’s pretty clear you’re having a tough go of things right now. Please accept my best, and extend it to Mrs EGF.

Could you email them from an address not used to book it and see if they have availability?
If they say its booked gives you opportunity email and explain scenario and see what will give back indicating you know they have taken a booking which will cover their losses? Surely they cant be complete bastards about it.

Email and say your circumstances have changed again and you might want to retract your cancellation? That will force them to fess up about re-booking, no?

if they don’t refund, just keep the booking and see if someone from STW can pop down there and hide some prawns.

I had to read that about eight times, but as far as I can decypher it means that inside of 8 weeks you get your £100 breakage ‘deposit’ back but you can whistle for the rest. Ie, they will refund anything you’ve paid over and above the full rental price.

Having reread:

I hope Ms EGF gets well soon, my regards.

“If we receive your cancellation 8 weeks or less before your arrival date, and we have already received the amount due for Balance and the Breakages Deposit, we will refund to you that part of the total amount received from you that is in excess of the full rental amount.”

My initial reply was based on this. Where’s it come from? Website T&Cs?

I’m sure Mrs EGF has an email from the owner which says something like if the property isn’t re-booked we’ll get no refund except the £100 breakage deposit but if it gets re-booked we’ll get half back.

She does or she doesn’t have such an email, you’re better placed to check that than we are.

I’ve just looked & according to the website It’s still booked for the week we were due to go. We went 2 years ago & it’s usually booked a year in advance so I’m sure someone else will have nabbed it by now, unless the owner knows they have a weeks rental payment for no work involved.

You seem to be sure of a lot of things that you’re actually guessing.

Regardless, I don’t expect that whether or not your cancelled booking has been rebooked has any bearing on your rights as the canceller. (And it could well still be showing your booking).

Not much to add other than I second Saxon Riders post.

I read this as if you cancel you get your full rental back as long as they relet at the same price. Assuming they relet at the same price i would expect to pay a small admin fee to cover their time and hassle.

I have had a few cancellations over the years and have refunded in full when relet. A non refundable booking deposit is actually an unfair term and can be challenged in court if the deposit exceeds the hassle factor of rebooking. Ianal but i read the last bit on the letting forum i m on.

So going fwd, ask the owner if he has relet, if he says no and you can reassign the let, stick it on here in the classifieds. If he has relet at full price he cannot keep your full payment.

Seems odd that this wouldn’t be covered by some consumer rights legislation, might be worth checking with Trading Standards whether they can keep your money if the accommodation has been rebooked.

I’d check the facts then use NorthshoreNiall’s method of checking availability.

Typically they can’t simply choose to retain your full payment but can only cover their losses, i.e. if they couldn’t re-let (or had to drop the price for a last-min booking) then they would be able to charge you the difference. Even keeping half the fee seems excessive to me and I bet it wouldn’t stand up in court.

OTOH your own holiday insurance probably covers you anyway.

Could you email them from an address not used to book it and see if they have availability?

Might do that.

I know what you mean Cougar but ATM I can’t get on the wife’s email to see if there’s a confliction of the website T&C’s & what the email says.

So going fwd, ask the owner if he has relet, if he says no and you can reassign the let, stick it on here in the classifieds. If he has relet at full price he cannot keep your full payment.

Thanks Neil, might also be worth a try.