Two of the UK’s biggest holiday rental firms have caved in to pressure to refund holidaymakers for cancelled trips after an investigation by the competition regulator.
Hoseasons and Cottages.com were both reported to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for refusing to provide cash reimbursement for holidays cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis.
Furious customers described convoluted terms and conditions that gave property owners the right to cancel bookings in extenuating circumstances, but did not set out the consumer’s right to a refund.
This left many caught in the middle as booking sites and rental owners both denied responsibility for handing back money.
The firm stated it had been offering refunds since April 30. This date is when the CMA published guidance to travel firms on consumer rights and refunds, a Vacation Rentals spokesman said.
“We believe we have acted fairly and responsibly at all times,” the spokesman said. “We responded and adapted to the evolving issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic whenever new guidelines from the government were made available.”
Full Content: BBC
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