Virgin have changed their policy re: cancellations and deposits

[catherine]

Today I recieved an e-mail from Virgin informing me that they no longer hold your deposit if you have to cancel your holiday and want to re-book it!

 

[wifey]

Will customers get a refund?? They should give folks a bit of notice if they are going to change conditions !!!

 

[gilld]

Today I recieved an e-mail from Virgin informing me that they no longer hold your deposit if you have to cancel your holiday and want to re-book it!

That's a blow as I was going to cancel my holiday for September. I'll still be cancelling as we've booked a cruise, guess I'll just have to lose the £240. Thank goodness it's not a big deposit.

 

[Miffy2003]

Thanks for the information Catherine.

I wonder if they have changed their t&cs to reflect this (in which case it would only apply to bookings not yet made - wouldn't it?) or if this was always in the t&cs but never enforced it before?

 

[catherine]

Will customers get a refund?? They should give folks a bit of notice if they are going to change conditions !!!

No, you just lose your deposit!

 

[catherine]

Thanks for the information Catherine.

I wonder if they have changed their t&cs to reflect this (in which case it would only apply to bookings not yet made - wouldn't it?) or if this was always in the t&cs but never enforced it before?

I think it states in the T&C that if you cancel your booking then you lose the deposit. So I guess that the special arrangement to hold deposits was good customer service, which they've now stopped!

 

[Miffy2003]

I think it states in the T&C that if you cancel your booking then you lose the deposit. So I guess that the special arrangement to hold deposits was good customer service, which they've now stopped!

Thanks Catherine

 

[Amyrlin]

It brings them into line with most other companies

 

[wifey]

What a shame that was one of the reasons people like their service over other companies, just hope folks don't turn away in droves or Sir RB may notice a big hole in his account!!

 

[gilld]

Virgin rang me yesterday after receiving my letter of cancellation. They suggested I hold off cancelling until my due payment date in July as I might want to transfer my deposit to a holiday next year.

Yes I know they're hoping for the business, but even after I told them I'd booked a cruise in place of the holiday this September, they still suggested I wait to see if I could salvage the deposit by tranferring it.

Very fair of them I thought.

 

[wifey]

Wow that was a really lovely idea if you can afford another trip soon and get the time to travel again

 

[catherine]

Virgin rang me yesterday after receiving my letter of cancellation. They suggested I hold off cancelling until my due payment date in July as I might want to transfer my deposit to a holiday next year.

Yes I know they're hoping for the business, but even after I told them I'd booked a cruise in place of the holiday this September, they still suggested I wait to see if I could salvage the deposit by tranferring it.

Very fair of them I thought.

Thanks for posting this. I just e-mailed Virgin to find out why I was told that it is no longer their policy to hold deposits I'll let you know what they have to say when I recieve a reply!

 

[gilld]

Thanks for posting this. I just e-mailed Virgin to find out why I was told that it is no longer their policy to hold deposits I'll let you know what they have to say when I recieve a reply!

They confirmed that they won't "hold" deposits, but they will allow you to change your holiday completely as long as you do it there and then. So she suggested we wait to cancel until the last minute by which time we might have planned another holiday for next year which we could then change to. It has to be rebooked at the time of cancellation so in effect they won't be "holding" the deposit just amending the original booking - even if it's a different date, destination etc.

 

[catherine]

They confirmed that they won't "hold" deposits, but they will allow you to change your holiday completely as long as you do it there and then. So she suggested we wait to cancel until the last minute by which time we might have planned another holiday for next year which we could then change to. It has to be rebooked at the time of cancellation so in effect they won't be "holding" the deposit just amending the original booking - even if it's a different date, destination etc.

This is exactly what I want to do and I was told that if I cancelled the original booking I would lose the deposit. The only way I can avoid this is if I pay £25 per person and alter the booking!

 

[gilld]

This is exactly what I want to do and I was told that if I cancelled the original booking I would lose the deposit. The only way I can avoid this is if I pay £25 per person and alter the booking!

Yes, they said I'd have to pay the amendment fee, and that we would be altering the booking - but to something completely different, travelling at a different time - as long as we do it all in one go i.e. change what we have booked to something else, but all in the same transaction. That is completely different to "holding" the deposit, where you were at liberty to reapply the deposit at a later date.

 

[catherine]

Yes, they said I'd have to pay the amendment fee, and that we would be altering the booking - but to something completely different, travelling at a different time - as long as we do it all in one go i.e. change what we have booked to something else, but all in the same transaction. That is completely different to "holding" the deposit, where you were at liberty to reapply the deposit at a later date.

So you wouldn't be cancelling your booking, but ammending it. I get it now!

 

[gilld]

So you wouldn't be cancelling your booking, but ammending it. I get it now!

Yes, I probably didn't put it very well first time round!!!