Refund of deposit for package holiday.

I booked a week in Lanzarote for next Jan with a local travel agent. I am a good customer of theirs.

Due to circumstances outside of my control, my wife and I can't travel and we cannot pick an alternative date. It could be April before we get a chance to get away.

I paid a €400 deposit. I don't expect to get a refund but I'd be grateful for a credit voucher. Has anyone experienced same?

I figured I'd ask you guys before I call to the travel agency.

I fear the worst.

Do you have travel insurance?

Superdrog is right. If you don't have holiday insurance you might as well whistle Dixie and your deposit will disappear. Remember, the first €100 or so of any claim is witheld by them (see small print) and you will probably spend another €50 ringing the UK only to be answered by an answering machine. Visit your doctor for medical certificate indicating your illness preventing you to travel (another €65.00). Throw in a few visits to the travel agent, frustration, etc and you'll be glad to get back even a few quid. The partial refund (if any)will take months.

If you don't have travel insurance throw yourself at the mercy of the travel agent, but don't expect too much sympathy from them.

Next time out, you might consider booking an apartment privately at whatever destination you choose. This might be your way of clawing some of your money pack.

Is is not the case that only a certain amount is non-refundable and you should get most of it back as you are cancelling well in advance of the holiday?

If not, I would transfer the money to another holiday, even if it is very far in the future rather than loosing 400 quid. I had to do that in the past but it's better than loosing it all. However, seeing as you are a good customer they might give you a credit voucher as they know it will have to be spent with them so their commission is safe.

Lou,

I was probably the best customer of a travel agent with whom religiously we used every 2nd or 3rd January to book the summer holiday. We would pick up a cheapie or two during May or October also. Throw in a city break as well and I think you could call us GOOD CUSTOMERS over the year.

Then (perhaps 12 years ago) on 2nd January we booked a family holiday in Turkey (6 of us £2450.00 pounds not euro) and on 2nd week of February the exact same holiday was advertised for our dates, destination, holiday apartments etc at less than half the price. I contacted our 'friendly' travel agent who put me in touch with the travel company who advised me not to cancel and they would negotiate later (July). I accepted their word and their negotiation later was they were maintaining their price. You may say that I got the holiday at the going price. But, it would have been cheaper for us to cancel (lose our deposit) and rebook the exact same holiday. The travel company and travel agent let me down.

The following year (once again) we booked on 2nd January a family holiday in Crete. Our youngest daughter could not travel because she broke her leg just prior to the holiday. The Insurers refunded me a few bob of the price paid for my daughter. If my memory serves me right, I would have been better off not claiming. The insurance people are usually based in the UK despite the advertising that the travel agent uses all things Irish.

Since then we have been booking privately owned apartments or duplexes and have saved a fortune - I kid you not. By the way we would still use our travel company, but only for good cheapies.