When Free cancellation of hotel doesn't mean Free!!

On The Beach Holidays - www.onthebeach.co.uk
★★☆☆☆
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30.0% of users recommend this

dcPorter484's review of On The Beach Holidays - www.onthebeach.co.uk

“When Free cancellation of hotel doesn't mean Free!!”

★☆☆☆☆

written by dcPorter484 on 02/05/2017

I have booked a flight and Hotel with on the Beach, Booked this because flight was good and cheap but mainly hotel was advertised as Free cancellation if cancelled 14 days prior to departure, I've called them today 2nd May 2017 asking process of cancelling hotel as looks like we don't need this accommodation as maybe staying somewhere else. After speaking to customer services I was told that Free cancellation doesn't mean that and I would have to pay them for cancelling !!!
On the website it proudly has when booking with a nice tick (Free cancellation on this hotel
If you cancel your hotel stay more than 14 days before you travel) No * next to it stating that its not free at all. I ask how much and can I cancel hotel but this can't be done over the phone and had to be done through website email, so option to cancel this isn't on the site just hotel change or changes within hotel so that needs changing! unless you want to cancel whole trip which I didn't so just explained on hotel change then I wanted to no process of cancelling hotel and explained customer services saying I may be charged in comments box. Sent email this comes up with should hear back within 5 days! well thats not much good as go away 21st May so need to get this sorted within 5 days otherwise the 14 days period would pass!
To sum up Free doesn't mean Free, trying to change anything needs to be done by email so not quick at all.
Would not use this website again and would book flight with the airline next time and book hotel through Hotels.com or Bookings.com as when they say Free cancellation they would cancel hotel and not charged for it!!
Hope this helps other people on making bookings.

Johno10Is's Comment

Written on: 03/05/2017

Update on this

Had email from ontheBeach today so will give credit to them for responding within 24hrs and not up to 5 days as they say after sending email in.

As for Free cancellation on hotel as advertised on there website well no this is NOT true!!
The cost to make this change is £60.00 (this is the difference in hotel cost, including any admin fees and amendments to transfers where applicable)

So really free cancellation is impossible on there site as if cancelling or even amending incurs a fee!! so for them to show this I would say breaks some law in advertising this. I will look into and see what my options are.



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Rebe1966's Comment

Written on: 19/05/2017

Booked holiday with on the beach they messed up the dates so we went to the airport and was told the flight was the next day. Hotel was booked one day short. Spent hours trying to speak to on the beach but customer service is the worst. Out of pocket £100's on the beach refused to speak to us. My advise never book with on the beach.

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Betdavies123's Comment

Written on: 11/05/2017

i was ill on holiday but they refuse the atol insurance from on the beach and i had to pay 150 for bronquitis and chest infection they would not take the atol cerficiate hope you can help thank you

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Betdavies123's Comment

Written on: 12/05/2017

why can you just pay its all because they wont accept the atol cercsificate we also had to pay a taxi did not because the transfer did not arrive so we had to pay taxi its not fair ,we have been with on the beach for a long time thanks

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Johno10Is's Comment

Written on: 04/05/2017

Update on this

After replying to ontheBeach email saying I will be charged £60 cancellation fee, I emailed back to say ok I will pay this but the description is wrong to say its free cancellation when its not if you have to pay a fee!

Have received email from ontheBeach saying:
Not a problem, apologies we can cancel this free of cost you will receive an update confirmation shortly.

So after complaining and I think ontheBeach realising that them advertising free cancellation for hotel is not really true so they have dropped those charges as sure the are legally in the wrong.

Hope this helps anyone else that is being charged who they shouldn't be.

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