lastminute.com

Rich88

Hi,

I have a trip booked to New York in September with lastminute.com including hotel and flights.
I no longer wish to take the trip so put in a cancellation request as I am now unemployed due to Covid 19. However they say I must still pay the full balance of the trip 2,612.49 euros even though I won't be going.

I paid a deposit using my debit card of 650 euros which I understand about not getting back but can I just refuse to pay the rest of the money?

Lastminute.com will automatically take the rest of the payment 1959.37 euros in August. If I told my bank I don't want them to take it would they be able to stop them?
Or is there anything else I can do? Would they be able to take the payment if I make sure the funds aren't in my account at the time they are supposed to take it?

Thanks for any advice.

L1011

Bank are not going to assist you in blocking a payment you've agreed to make (cancelling the card won't impact it either, btw); and while having no money in the account (on a debit card) just means it bounces, it doesn't make the debt go away.

Rich88

OK thanks for your help.

Starlord_01

What was the cancellation policy in the terms & conditions?

Rich88

It says if you cancel you will be subject to a cancellation fee. I requested to find out what the fee would be and they set the fee as the full price of the holiday.

JeffKenna

Wait it out, high chance your trip will be cancelled.

Starlord_01

I'd agree with JeffKenna, and wait it out for as long as possible. You said the payment isn't due until August and a lot of things will change between now and then.

Rich88

Thanks I called my bank. They cancelled my debit card and will send a new one and have blocked the company from taking any further money from my account.

I don't want to go as I am out of work until further notice. I'd prefer to wait and take a trip another year when I have chance to save properly and not put myself under pressure.

I did agree to terms and conditions but to me a "Cancellation fee" should not be the full price of the holiday when I am giving 5 months notice.

If I have to I will close my account and switch to another bank nearer to the time.

JeffKenna

Rich88 wrote: »

Thanks I called my bank. They cancelled my debit card and will send a new one and have blocked the company from taking any further money from my account.

I don't want to go as I am out of work until further notice. I'd prefer to wait and take a trip another year when I have chance to save properly and not put myself under pressure.

I did agree to terms and conditions but to me a "Cancellation fee" should not be the full price of the holiday when I am giving 5 months notice.

If I have to I will close my account and switch to another bank nearer to the time.

You've probably lost the deposit doing this.

TheDriver

Rich88 wrote: »

Thanks I called my bank. They cancelled my debit card and will send a new one and have blocked the company from taking any further money from my account.

I don't want to go as I am out of work until further notice. I'd prefer to wait and take a trip another year when I have chance to save properly and not put myself under pressure.

I did agree to terms and conditions but to me a "Cancellation fee" should not be the full price of the holiday when I am giving 5 months notice.

If I have to I will close my account and switch to another bank nearer to the time.

A cancellation fee can be whatever they want once it states it in the t&c. A certain english sun holiday crowd used to have the full amount of the holiday as the cancellation fee.
Be cautious about having a debt to your name.

Trigger Happy

Yeah, I dont think that cancelling your debit card was the best idea here OP.

Where you from?

They have your debit card details, Not your iban and bic. They can only take money from the card.

L1011

Pre-agreed transactions, like this one, can be charged to the replacement card number when cards are cancelled; without your involvement at all.

The amount of people who assume that cancelling a card gets them off a foreign speeding fine or whatever only to find it still turns up.

kennethsmyth

L1011 wrote: »

Pre-agreed transactions, like this one, can be charged to the replacement card number when cards are cancelled; without your involvement at all.

The amount of people who assume that cancelling a card gets them off a foreign speeding fine or whatever only to find it still turns up.

Not fully true, you can inform your bank to not allow a company to take further amounts from your card or account. Its up to the company if they wish to follow through with a visit to court.

L1011

kennethsmyth wrote: »

Not fully true, you can inform your bank to not allow a company to take further amounts from your card or account. Its up to the company if they wish to follow through with a visit to court.

A pre-agreed amount is not a "further" amount, though. They have a valid agreement to take the full payment that predates the block. This isn't like blocking a SEPA DD; its basically a credit card equivalent service.

Basically, unless the trip is cancelled entirely - which is entirely plausible due to continuing travel restrictions - they will attempt to get that cash out of the account if its there (or it'll go overdrawn depending on how the bank works) And if they don't, they're quite likely to look at debt recovery for that amount of money; its enough to be worth it.

Even if a call centre staff member tells you the payment has been blocked it doesn't mean it actually has been - it is quite likely to still be valid. If it does actually get blocked, do not expect that to be the end of it!

macplaxton

TheDriver wrote: »

A cancellation fee can be whatever they want once it states it in the t&c.

I don't think it can. Isn't t&c like that trumped by unfair terms in consumer contracts legislation?

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/consumer_protection/consumer_rights/unfair_terms.html

So I agree that the amount could be of a certain amount, but 100%?

Rich88

I'll pay the money when it's due in August, maybe we can still take the holiday. Not worth going to court, I've never missed payments or owed money in the past.

Don't normally splash out on holidays, it was a treat for me and my partner after years of saving to buy our home.
Learnt my lesson over terms and conditions, I'll be more careful in future.
Appreciate the advice

larchielads

Has anyone managed to get a refund ive been waitin over 90 days tried ringin various contact numbers but its no use as its just an automated answerin service with no option to talk to an agent