Cancelled Booking

[Ju]

Sorry, I'm ruthless. I take a non-refundable deposit. If they cancel I don't refund. If that means they don't re-book with me another time then so be it. I don't want guests who cancel.

I am a business, and as such I have to deal with things such as cash flow, VAT accounts etc. Giving peoples money back is a big hassle, and to me it is bad business sense. £250 buys alot of advertising, is it really worth one persons good word?

If people don't want to pay a non-refundable deposit they don't have to, they can always book elsewhere.

I do give the personal touch, I am an owner who cares, but I am also a business, and I have mouths to feed.

Ju

[Rocket Rab]

I'm sure we all see ourselves as efficient business set-ups, and there is obviously more than one way of running a successful rental business. Lucky we have LMH as a forum for bouncing ideas around...

[Big Sis..]

Well said Jenny..

I read all these posts and I agree with aspects of all of them....I must admit that Ive never given back a deposit and never been asked to...
Do you think the amount makes a difference... Im not sure.....

[Lesblancs]

I think as much as anything it would depend on the way he asked for it. There is an implication in your post that he 'sort of' demanded/expected it back.

In which case I would be very reluctant to return. I really feel however it is each case on its merits.

Last year I had a cancellation due to illness after the full monies had been paid. I was asked for a letter/bill for the guests insurance company, which I sent.

In a similar vein, if I had managed to re-book the 2 weeks, what should I have done?

Robert

[Hells Bells]

l think you did the right thing keeping the money. I probably would have taken the opportunity to go and stay myself. They presumably did not expect you to return their payment.

[Partridge]

I really feel however it is each case on its merits.

That sums it up nicely Robert. A cancellation at the last minute is not the same, for me, as a cancellation way ahead of time. If the guests got their money back and you got another booking then I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles, so to speak.
No one wants guests who cancel but s*** happens sometimes

[Jimbo]

Ju wrote:

I'm ruthless ... I don't want guests who cancel.

Sometimes people have to cancel and it's not their fault. Maybe they're sick or their business has gone to the wall or their children have been in a car crash. Whatever, they need you to cut them a bit of slack. Not everybody is a bad guy, I think you can usually tell when they're genuine. I'm firmly with those who try and re-book and return the deposit (or a proportion of it). What goes round comes round as they say. Who knows, not only might they re-book in the future but they might tell everybody they know how understanding you were in such difficult circumstances.

I've been in business for 30 years and I'm ruthless too, Ju. But only with those who I'm sure are trying to take me for a ride. Not with the good guys.

Jim

[Guest3]

Last year I had a cancellation due to illness after the full monies had been paid. I was asked for a letter/bill for the guests insurance company, which I sent.

In a similar vein, if I had managed to re-book the 2 weeks, what should I have done?

If you had refunded...your guest would have been well happy...getting a refund from the insurance company as well as from you!!

[Ju]

Last year I had a cancellation due to illness after the full monies had been paid. I was asked for a letter/bill for the guests insurance company, which I sent.

In a similar vein, if I had managed to re-book the 2 weeks, what should I have done?

Robert

Or policy is that if the full amount has been paid, and we re-let the weeks cancelled then a refund is made - less the deposit. It is the deposit part which is non-refundable.

I am also quite happy to change bookings at no cost, so if someone can't come due to illness they can move the booking to another time. We have done this on several occasions.

If I am honest I really don't see the point of a refundable deposit. If the guests know they are going to get their money back what is to stop them changing their minds or finding somewhere they like better? I can always re-book my peak weeks, so why do I not just wait until eight weeks before and take all the money at once from the first person who offers me it?

In taking a deposit I am promising not to let that week to anyone else. It is not a case of whether it costs me money to send e-mails etc, I am providing a service. If they book early, then they get the weeks that they want. But that comes at a price. If were looking for a property and I knew I would get my deposit back, I might book five different places in different countries, and then decide where I wanted to go nearer the time.

Sorry this subject has been going round my head a bit and I felt like a rant!

Ju

[Hells Bells]

mm, but these guys got their money back from their insurers, so should you have snet it to the insurers?

[vrooje]

We had a guest who put down a deposit for an extended booking, then changed the dates more than once, then cancelled and asked for the deposit back, saying that since we could probably re-let the weeks, we should give the money back (though the contract, which he signed, simply stated that deposits are non-refundable).

We said no.

Another had to cancel at the last second and asked for a cancellation receipt for his insurance, which we provided. No discussion of refunds, and no one lost money (except the insurance), even though we couldn't re-book the week.

On the other hand, we had another set of guests who had to cancel for medical reasons, months and months early, and didn't yet have travel insurance. They were very gracious and did not ask, but we refunded the deposit.

If doing so would have caused us to miss a bill payment or let the cupboards go empty for a few days, though, we wouldn't have. I think it depends very much on your situation. For us, we always state that we won't refund the deposit, and only show our softer side if the client has shown respect.

(I know that's not that terribly logical, but that's how we do it...)

[Partridge]

mm, but these guys got their money back from their insurers, so should you have snet it to the insurers?

Now that's taking kind heartedness and flexibility to the extreme Helen No, if the people get their money back and you're able to re let then there is nothing underhand about it, I would say it's fine to keep the double bubble.

Like Jim said, each case on it's merits

[Guest3]

Ju said

If the guests know they are going to get their money back what is to stop them changing their minds or finding somewhere they like better?

or cancelling just before the balance is due and getting a 'late booking deal'.......I can see where you are coming from Ju!

[Rocket Rab]

Hang on a mo, I don't know how others word their rental agreements/Ts & Cs, but my arrangement is similar to Brooke's, i.e. I state the deposit is non-refundable...

...I obviously don't point out in flashing neon lights you may muck me around I will refund your deposit come what may

[Hells Bells]

Brooke, and I think that is how most of us would respond.