REFUND PROTECTION

Are you worried about your holiday plans being ruined by unexpected events?

Almost every day we're contacted by guests who find that they're unable to take the break that they booked, and asking about options to move dates or get a refund.  Being a small, family-run independent ageny we always do our best to accommodate the needs of our clients, but unfortunately (and particularly when the holiday start date is imminent) we sometimes have to disappoint. 

To reduce this risk we strongly recommend that guests take out 'booking refund protection' or traditional travel insurance. We offer the option for refund protection at around 4% of the holiday cost. If you take our our holiday payment protection, you can rest assured that you will be reimbursed if you are unable to attend your booked holiday due to any of the reasons stated below. 

In our experience 96% of guests who take out our optional payment protection are successful in their claims, so you can be confident that you will be reimbursed if you need to cancel your booking and meet the criteria. We always strive to be sympathetic and reasonable in any decision and believe that this product represents good value for money.

Definitions:

All refunds are administered by Under the Thatch, not a third party. You will be provided with a refund on any unused booking if you are unable to attend the booked holiday due to any of the circumstances set out below.

You / Your / Yourself – A person who has made a booking with us.

Doctor – A qualified medical practitioner registered with a recognised professional body. A doctor cannot be you or a member of your immediate family.

Emergency Services – The Police, Fire and Rescue Service or Emergency Medical Services.

Booking / Booked holiday – The Holiday Price + Service Fee + Additional Guests + Pet/s but not including Charity Donation if applicable

Group – The people who are noted on the Booking Confirmation (i.e. the number of guests staying).

Illness  – A physical or mental condition confirmed by a doctor that prevents you from attending the booked holiday.

Immediate family – Your husband, wife, partner, civil partner, parent, child, brother or sister.

Injury - A bodily injury confirmed by a doctor that prevents you from attending the booked holiday.

Public Transport Network – Any mode of public transport other than public hire taxis licensed for public use on which you had planned to travel to a booked holiday.

We / us / our – Under the Thatch Ltd. 

What will we refund?

We will refund the full cost of your booking, minus a £30 administration fee, if you are unable to attend due to the reasons listed below. Any charity donations made at the time of booking will be donated to charity as originally intended.

• an injury, or an illness affecting you or a member of your immediate family;
• your death or that of a member of your immediate family within a 4-week period of the start date of the booked holiday;
• adverse weather including snow, frost, fog or storm where the Police services or other Government agency have issued warnings "not to travel". You must provide confirmation of relevant road closures from the Police or the relevant Government agency;
• the mechanical breakdown, accident, fire or theft en route of a private vehicle taking you to the booked holiday;
• jury service which you were unaware of at the time of the booking;
• burglary or fire at your residence in the 48 hours immediately before the booked holiday that required the attendance of the emergency services;
• you being summoned to appear at court proceedings as a witness which you were unaware of at the time of booking;
• you being a member of the armed forces and being posted overseas unexpectedly;
• you being made compulsory redundant after booking (evidence provided).
• unexpected disruption of the public transport network you could not have reasonably known about before the date of the booked holiday;

If the holiday has commenced then we will apportion the refund accordingly

What will we not refund?

We will not provide a refund where:

• you decide not to attend a booked holiday other than for a reason included within this Booking Refund Protection;
• you cannot provide a doctor’s report for injury or illness;
• your sole reason for not attending is due to another member of your group no longer being able to attend for any reason;
• you are unable to attend a booked holiday because you are unable to obtain a visa to travel;
• the booked holiday is cancelled by yourselves, abandoned, postponed, curtailed or relocated;
• you are prevented from travelling to a booked holiday due to disruption of the public transport network which is public knowledge prior to the booked holiday;
• in our reasonable opinion, you did not allow sufficient time to travel to a booked holiday;
• you carry out a criminal act which prevents you attending a booked holiday;
• you make a false or fraudulent refund application or support a refund application by false or fraudulent document, device or statement;
• you submit your refund request more than 14 days after the booked holiday
• If a booking needs to be cancelled due to illness, injury, or a medical condition affecting a guest or their immediate family, the refund will only apply if the condition was not pre-existing at the time the booking was made. A pre-existing condition is defined as any illness, injury, or medical issue for which the guest or an affected family member has received treatment, medication, or medical advice in the 12 months prior to the booking date.

We will not pay for travelling or associated expenses or any loss other than the purchase price, including booking fee, of the booked holiday.

We will not pay any consequence of war, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolutions, insurrection, military or usurped power, riot, civil commotion, strikes, lockout, terrorism, malicious intent or vandalism, confiscation or nationalisation of or requisition or destruction of or damage to property by or under the order of any government or public or local authority.

We will not pay any costs you incur in submitting or providing evidence to support your refund application.

General Conditions:

• you must make all necessary arrangements to arrive at the holiday on time.
• you must not be aware of any material fact, matter or circumstance, at the time Booking Refund Protection is purchased, which may give rise to a refund request.
• you must take all reasonable precautions to prevent or reduce any request for a refund.