Had a call this afternoon from a lady booked into our larger gite from this Saturday. Her mother's taken seriously ill and is unable to travel. (She's 85). Therefore, the lady called to cancel. We've already had the deposit from her, so that's ok. Syb took the call and the lady was almost in tears. So, Syb didn't tell her that as in our T&C's, the lady's liable for the full amount of the holiday as she's cancelled within a week of taking up the gite.
I've drafted what I think is a sensitive e-mail, asking for the full amount, as stated clearly in our T&C's, but wondered whether we should just let it go? In the T&C's we also advise folk to take out a seperate Travel & Cancellation Insurance.
Help!
Feeling Low - Advice please?
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Normandy Cow
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Oh Stu and Syb, what an awful situation to be in!
How on earth do you word such a letter? I think you should still write to them - after all, if they did take up travel insurance as you suggested then they would be able to reclaim the payment and neither of you would be out of pocket. And if they didn't take out the insurance then they were taking quite some risk if they were travelling with an 85 year old lady! I know it's really difficult if you are a sensitive soul (like what I am!), but at the end of the day you are running a business and you have to be hard.
I recently had a cancellation from guests just 3 days before their arrival, because the wife (who was 7 months pregnant) had had a miscarriage.
But we were not in the same situation as you because we always ask for full payment 8 weeks prior to the start of the holiday, so we had already had the money. They were able to get a refund from their holiday insurance anyway. (And I've offered them a discount if they wish to book again in the future).
Out of interest - why don't you get the payment in advance? This seems to be standard practice for holiday homes.
How on earth do you word such a letter? I think you should still write to them - after all, if they did take up travel insurance as you suggested then they would be able to reclaim the payment and neither of you would be out of pocket. And if they didn't take out the insurance then they were taking quite some risk if they were travelling with an 85 year old lady! I know it's really difficult if you are a sensitive soul (like what I am!), but at the end of the day you are running a business and you have to be hard.
I recently had a cancellation from guests just 3 days before their arrival, because the wife (who was 7 months pregnant) had had a miscarriage.
But we were not in the same situation as you because we always ask for full payment 8 weeks prior to the start of the holiday, so we had already had the money. They were able to get a refund from their holiday insurance anyway. (And I've offered them a discount if they wish to book again in the future).
Out of interest - why don't you get the payment in advance? This seems to be standard practice for holiday homes.
I think you may have to write this of as experience. In future make sure that you take full payment in advance. We take ours eight weeks before arrival, and they don't get directions until after they've paid. Even hotels require money up front these days, usually it is in the form of a credit card number, but if you cancel late you are charged for it.
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Bellywobble
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It sounds just awful.
I think I would explain that at such short notice you will be unable to get another rental and are now out of pocket. I would also ask them if they took your advice and obtained insurance. If they did, I would have no problem with asking them to claim on it, but if they didn't....then I think I would just write it off and put it down to experience. If they haven't paid up front, then I think it would be difficult and involve unpleasantness to get the money. It would be easier to hang on to money that has already been paid. Maybe you should think about payment in advance in future.
I do sympathise, I would hate to have to deal with this. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
I think I would explain that at such short notice you will be unable to get another rental and are now out of pocket. I would also ask them if they took your advice and obtained insurance. If they did, I would have no problem with asking them to claim on it, but if they didn't....then I think I would just write it off and put it down to experience. If they haven't paid up front, then I think it would be difficult and involve unpleasantness to get the money. It would be easier to hang on to money that has already been paid. Maybe you should think about payment in advance in future.
I do sympathise, I would hate to have to deal with this. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
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cromercrabholiday
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It's all too easy to be drawn into other people's problems. If they had booked with a big holiday company, they would be liable - no argument. Somehow, because we are small we are more able to take losses? If they didn't take up insurance, they have decided to take that risk themselves and they have lost out. I'm sorry if I sound callous, but pinch yourselves - are we running businesses or playing houses?
We've just sold our week that was cancelled on because they couldn't afford the new house and the holiday. We will be around £200 short and they can either pay it to us or they can pay it after the small claims court has been brought in (when it will be nearer £300 with costs). We are moving our payment date to eight weeks before from four following this experience.
We provide a top quality personal service but we regard the cottage as a business.
I'll get my coat!
John
We've just sold our week that was cancelled on because they couldn't afford the new house and the holiday. We will be around £200 short and they can either pay it to us or they can pay it after the small claims court has been brought in (when it will be nearer £300 with costs). We are moving our payment date to eight weeks before from four following this experience.
We provide a top quality personal service but we regard the cottage as a business.
I'll get my coat!
John
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Bellywobble
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Stu - I'm so sorry to hear about this. What a difficult situation for them... and, by extension, for you if they did not purchase insurance as you suggested.
Hang in there!
debk
(I also agree with the other advice: take full payment 8 weeks out and be very clear about the need for travel insurance. We've had 3 last minute cancellations -- two had insurance and one didn't -- but none expected us to cover nor re-pay their fees.)
Hang in there!
debk
(I also agree with the other advice: take full payment 8 weeks out and be very clear about the need for travel insurance. We've had 3 last minute cancellations -- two had insurance and one didn't -- but none expected us to cover nor re-pay their fees.)
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Normandy Cow
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I've been thinking about this all morning, and I fully agree with what John was saying above.
I consider to myself to be a "nice person" and an "owner who cares" (I even vouch for it by advertising on YourHolidayMatters!) and I am always worrying about this and that - are the guests happy, is everything 100%, is the weather OK (I feel personally responsible if the weather is anything less than full sunshine and 25C).
I am also one of life's guilt catchers - so I would find it really really hard to write to those people asking for my money. But Why???? At the end of the day you told them they needed insurance, and if they were too tight-fisted to take it out then that is their problem, not yours. We have to be hard. Why should you have to write it off and "chalk it up to experience"??? They are the ones who should do that, not you. You have done everything correctly and above board and you have shown that you are an "owner who cares" just by discussing it here on the forum.
I hope you get your money. And please, think about getting people to pay up in advance. I don't know of any French holiday home owners who don't, and we have never ever had anyone declining to book because of this clause in our Ts&Cs.
Let us know the outcome of this...
I consider to myself to be a "nice person" and an "owner who cares" (I even vouch for it by advertising on YourHolidayMatters!) and I am always worrying about this and that - are the guests happy, is everything 100%, is the weather OK (I feel personally responsible if the weather is anything less than full sunshine and 25C).
I am also one of life's guilt catchers - so I would find it really really hard to write to those people asking for my money. But Why???? At the end of the day you told them they needed insurance, and if they were too tight-fisted to take it out then that is their problem, not yours. We have to be hard. Why should you have to write it off and "chalk it up to experience"??? They are the ones who should do that, not you. You have done everything correctly and above board and you have shown that you are an "owner who cares" just by discussing it here on the forum.
I hope you get your money. And please, think about getting people to pay up in advance. I don't know of any French holiday home owners who don't, and we have never ever had anyone declining to book because of this clause in our Ts&Cs.
Let us know the outcome of this...
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Alan Knighting
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Catherine,
If they don't even care for themselves enough to take out holiday insurance it's their problem, not mine.
Someone once said “it's called show-business because it's a business�; otherwise it would be called show-show.
A question for those who are living in Spain. Could you not use the “denuncio� system to get the ball rolling?
Alan
Me too, but it takes two to tango. The other side of the coin is holiday makers who are nice people and people who care.I consider to myself to be a "nice person" and an "owner who cares"
If they don't even care for themselves enough to take out holiday insurance it's their problem, not mine.
Someone once said “it's called show-business because it's a business�; otherwise it would be called show-show.
A question for those who are living in Spain. Could you not use the “denuncio� system to get the ball rolling?
Alan
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Alan Knighting
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In insurance terms I'm sure you are right, but do they holiday at their risk or at my risk? It's a simple question and it gets a simple answer.mpprh wrote:Hi
just a point : any kind of travel insurance is difficult (or hyper expensive) for 85 year olds.
Perhaps you should ask for a medical cert with the deposit !
Peter
Alan
After reading this, I'm considering changing our policies and collecting final payment eight weeks in advance, instead of four.
We have thus far had one cancellation per year, exactly. All but one have had travel insurance. For the one that didn't, we had already collected payment, and when they informed us of the cancellation, we sent them a letter saying "just let us know if you need a receipt of cancellation or any other documentation for your travel insurance." It was a way of being helpful and polite while telling them they weren't getting their money back.
But if we hadn't already received payment, I think we'd end up just writing it off and changing our policies...
We have thus far had one cancellation per year, exactly. All but one have had travel insurance. For the one that didn't, we had already collected payment, and when they informed us of the cancellation, we sent them a letter saying "just let us know if you need a receipt of cancellation or any other documentation for your travel insurance." It was a way of being helpful and polite while telling them they weren't getting their money back.
But if we hadn't already received payment, I think we'd end up just writing it off and changing our policies...
Brooke
Thanks all again. There's been no reply to the e-mail we sent to our client, but I'm assuming that she's just too wrapped up in aother stuff to even bother with the PC. I'll give it a week and then perhaps chase her up with a 'phone call.
I appreciate all the advice you've given. This hasn't happened before and because of it, we're now reviewing our payment collection policies.
I'll let you all know what happens. I'd hate to have to take the lady to court as she's got enough going on at the 'mo, but the way I look at it is that the money was our shopping for the week/fortnight or whatever!
I appreciate all the advice you've given. This hasn't happened before and because of it, we're now reviewing our payment collection policies.
I'll let you all know what happens. I'd hate to have to take the lady to court as she's got enough going on at the 'mo, but the way I look at it is that the money was our shopping for the week/fortnight or whatever!