When Britain went into lockdown, Cottages.com customers were emailed with details of an e-voucher that could be used within the next 12 months but had to be booked by 31 August 2020. There was no mention of cash refunds and customers found it impossible to contact the firm to request one.
After Telegraph Money’s involvement Cottages.com did offer refunds. In one case a spokesman claimed this was only possible because the property originally booked was not available the following year.
Rob Wheeler was due to stay in a cottage in the Lake District at the end of May. He was eventually refunded the full £450 that he paid. He said: “It was such a relief to get a full refund for our trip, I know everyone is struggling right now but we’ll sleep a little easier with the money in our bank rather than cottages.com’s”.
A petition launched calling on the firm to refund all customers has garnered nearly 500 signatures.
Martyn James of Resolver, a dispute resolution service, said firms refusing refunds could face prosecution.
“There’s a huge desire to help businesses stay trading now and in the future. But denying people options leaves a bitter taste – and for luxury brands like cottages.com, that could be a major tactical error, because their customers will vote with their feet,” he said.
A spokesman for Cottages.com said: “We are discussing any specific concerns with our customers directly. We are currently dealing with an unprecedented demand in our call centres, but are doing everything we can as a business to help rebook customers’ holidays, including offering price-matched breaks for the same or equivalent date in 2021.”