CathedralCounty wrote: July 12th, 2023, 8:40 am I know this isn’t Facebook or Mumsnet but there is some wisdom on here…

Short version booked a package holiday well over a year ago for this autumn, added a quite pricey excursion upfront but decided a few months ago we’d rather stay in the area and explore so asked to cancel the excursion – ok so far – called then emailed and got a friendly response to the effect of ‘no problem we can sort that and will refund you x amount per person’ – I replied with a ‘yes go ahead’ thinking the refund amount seemed to tally and I thought nothing of it. For context the payments are made in installments via an online account so any refunds come off the total to pay rather than direct to us and by this stage it was just before the final payment.

I’ve just discovered the refund was only 1/3rd (!) of what we’d paid for the extra and we’re talking a few hundred here, I’m not pleading poverty by any means but to me that’s a fair chunk of cash. They say its because of the way packages are worked out and that they pay suppliers non-refundable admin fees (OK if that’s the case but the amount and % seems disproportionate & punitive) BUT my feeling is they should have been clearer when I cancelled as otherwise we’d have probably just stuck with it – as now it feels like we are paying for the privilege of NOT going on an excursion (which we didn’t want to go on but that’s kind of moot now) and feel very mugged off.

I have asked for this anyway but am I right in thinking they should refund us the full cost and as they didn’t make it clear they would only refund 1/3rd or is it tough poo as I should have checked back on how much we paid initially and twigged that? (Even though I think the ‘admin’ fee story seems a little fishy and the amount/% is disproportionate to their loss as we cancelled this thing 6 months out from the holiday so they have plenty of time to re-sell and likely will). It a small company and their T&C’s make no mention of this ‘fee’. Either way its left a sour taste.

Any thoughts welcome form the wise people on here...

Stan A. Einstein wrote: July 12th, 2023, 9:11 am

CathedralCounty wrote: July 12th, 2023, 8:40 am I know this isn’t Facebook or Mumsnet but there is some wisdom on here…

Short version booked a package holiday well over a year ago for this autumn, added a quite pricey excursion upfront but decided a few months ago we’d rather stay in the area and explore so asked to cancel the excursion – ok so far – called then emailed and got a friendly response to the effect of ‘no problem we can sort that and will refund you x amount per person’ – I replied with a ‘yes go ahead’ thinking the refund amount seemed to tally and I thought nothing of it. For context the payments are made in installments via an online account so any refunds come off the total to pay rather than direct to us and by this stage it was just before the final payment.

I’ve just discovered the refund was only 1/3rd (!) of what we’d paid for the extra and we’re talking a few hundred here, I’m not pleading poverty by any means but to me that’s a fair chunk of cash. They say its because of the way packages are worked out and that they pay suppliers non-refundable admin fees (OK if that’s the case but the amount and % seems disproportionate & punitive) BUT my feeling is they should have been clearer when I cancelled as otherwise we’d have probably just stuck with it – as now it feels like we are paying for the privilege of NOT going on an excursion (which we didn’t want to go on but that’s kind of moot now) and feel very mugged off.

I have asked for this anyway but am I right in thinking they should refund us the full cost and as they didn’t make it clear they would only refund 1/3rd or is it tough poo as I should have checked back on how much we paid initially and twigged that? (Even though I think the ‘admin’ fee story seems a little fishy and the amount/% is disproportionate to their loss as we cancelled this thing 6 months out from the holiday so they have plenty of time to re-sell and likely will). It a small company and their T&C’s make no mention of this ‘fee’. Either way its left a sour taste.

Any thoughts welcome form the wise people on here...

Worse, they will sell that excursion again at full price. You have been mugged.
Whether you have a legal right to get more of your money back I don't know. Without having the full details I couldn't say. But my advice would be let it go. At least let the money go. Never do business with that company again and let as many people as possible know who they are.

UPTHEPORT wrote: July 13th, 2023, 11:59 am How did you pay for the excursion

I hada similar problem getting a full refund during covid I contacted PayPal they emailed me back 2 hours later saying they'd issued a full refund and they where going to pursue the company

Nice result