What would you do?
In February I booked a static caravan holiday for 29th May on a Haven site. The booking is with a private owner and I paid £75 deposit with the remainder of £275 due this Friday.
Today I received a reminder email asking for the full payment as Haven are expecting to open again on 15th May.
According to the Ts and Cs I will lose the £75 if I don’t pay.
Do I pay in the hope they do not open and get a full refund or do I forfeit the £75?
I know it’s my decision to make but would like to know what you think.
Comments
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I have had a few text messages with them today and they will only offer alternative dates or a refund if Haven do not open, which at the moment they hope to.
It’s all due to the government’s announcement dates.
See Haven website HERE
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Nevers, in your place, if the dates can’t be changed to the Autumn or, even better, next year, I'd write off the £75. What price peace of mind and safety?
Good luck.
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Nevers - two things occur to me. Are Haven trying it on, knowing full well that they won't be able to open anyway?
Do you have any contact details for the private owner? You may get a more sympathetic hearing from them.
If all else fails, I agree as above better to write off the £75, hard though that might be.
Good luck.
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Yes M it’s the private owner who is insisting I pay the balance or forfeit the deposit.
I suppose she has to cover her expensive site fees.
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Very difficult - if it was me the big question would be "would I want to go away at the end of May even if Haven is open"? Personally I think that's too early even if all the restrictions were lifted (which is doubtful).
I think just bite the bullet and put it down to experience unfortunately.
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I suppose the answer is how would you feel if it were possible to visit on the suggested date of opening? I somehow doubt you would be that happy about going so you may have to give up the deposit. It almost seems as if you are being blackmailed into accepting something with no guarantees. If she is chasing you, given the current circumstances I doubt you would get the full payment back!!
David
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I have not been offered alternative dates.
They say the site is not closed on my dates at the moment.
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As much as it'd p me off I'd forgo the £75. I very much doubt that the Haven sites will be open when they say, but even if they are I'd doubt all the entertainment will be on.
The caravan owner is being bloody minded in asking for the rest of the money now
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If your contract is with Haven and the static owner is the third party, then if you break those T&Cs by not paying the balance you lose the deposit, but if you pay then Haven would be breaking the contract if the May holiday did not go ahead and you would be entitled to a full refund.
If the third party is mixed up in this then its muddy waters as Haven would have to get monies back from them before paying you, and that is a lot harder to get.
If in your position I would forego the deposit, and write it off.
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Good news everyone, from 10:00am Haven have extended the closure dates.
This is an extract from their web page “Our parks will remain closed until SUNDAY 31 MAY 2020”
I have contacted the caravan owner who waited for email confirmation from Haven before agreeing to refund my £75. Latest news is that the money will be transferred later today.
Thank you all for your input.
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Great outcome for you, Nevers. Problem solved.👍🏻
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David, I am both disappointed and concerned to see that you have used (misused?) moderating tools firstly to correct the error you made in your quoted post where you originally said "…chasing you for the deposit…" and, secondly, to delete my post where I pointed out the misunderstanding in that the owner was chasing for full payment and the deposit had already been paid.
We all make mistakes and there’s no shame in that but anyone else would simply have said "Whoops, yes, I misunderstood", or words to that effect. The measures you used are not something available to 'ordinary' posters which is why I find the use of moderating powers to cover your own error of understanding to be questionable.
Nevers, I apologise for detracting from your thread but this needed to be said.
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TW
You can't have it both ways. If you felt my original post was missed phrased, although I am sure most people would have understood the point I was making, it seemed sensible to tidy it up. After all my edit didn't in anyway change the course of the discussion. Having done that your post became irrelevant so I decided it was better to delete rather than confuse. If you have an issue with what I do on this forum the correct procedure, as you well know, is to report that to the Community Manager rather than raise the issue on the open forum.
I am glad the OP has had a satisfactory outcome to his issue but to prevent this discussion going off topic I will now close
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