You might be able to get the car park charges back as they haven't been used. Not sure as I hardly ever use the car parks.
I have been asking everyone I know but not many people have spare leave left at this time of year so you are really up against it I'm afraid.

Which part of the country are you based in? Some people may have more local knowledge.

Whisper wrote:

To be honest I don't know how he got around it, but he did book it over the phone.

When we booked 2 holidays to Portugal over the phone we just told them that we had our own insurance and they never asked for proof of it. However when we booked our honeymoon we chose to have our own annual insurance and if I remember correctly they would not release the tickets until we showed them proof, but that was 6 years ago now.

May be something has changed? Or maybe it depends on the tour operator? Or may he should be taking legal advice?

:que

I don't think legal advice would help him. If he booked it over the phone, was asked if he had insurance and replied that he had, that is not the TO's fault. Normally if I book by phone I am asked who the insurance is with. Also when the booking form arrives to be signed, there is also a form where you have to confirm that you have travel insurance and again some ask for details. I can't see that the TO can do much more than that.

luci

Thanks Steve, thats very good of you - we are in Swindon, Wiltshire. I have just sent an email around my work (fingers crossed).

I have had a phone call today to say that my FIL is coming home later today so thats good news

As for the insurance I don't know what they asked on the phone, so I think the only thing they can do is sell the holiday if they can.

Can you not go with your wife? I know if i remember right you have a little boy, but can a relative look after him perhaps?

Hi, we have a little girl aged 3 and a little boy aged 1. I have been looking tonight to get another flight for me and my son but I have had no luck. We are never apart from each other for long so if we all can't go then none of us will.

But even if we could get a flight my wife has just become a child minder today after months of training and police checks and she is going to be looking after another child as from Monday so really there is no way we can go.

I have tried everthing, but it's like trying to sell a secondhand hair cut!!!

But thanks for all the advise but it looks like it will be sold back to Thomas cook tomorrow for £170 unless I can get them to change it to January but I don't think they will do it.

Well the 499 people who have read this topic, will hope that they do offer something
edited for typo

We shall see when I phone them tomorrow.......

How could a company sell a holiday to someone that is over 70 for One Thousand Seven Hundred Pounds and not give him a little customer care when it all goes wrong. Even if he did have insurance he probably wouldn't get all his money back.

Thanks for your support.

I'm afraid he would have been able to claim for the holiday in total if insurance had been in place, with the exception of any excess, typically £50, though on many policies you can pay a waiver to cover the excess as well. We have an annual worldwide policy which also covers business use and wintersports and for a family of 4 it is £125 a year with no excesses. We have claimed a couple of times under the medical section and been reimbursed in full within 7 days.

Anyway, this is stable door and bolted etc. for Madmadge now. I hope Thomas Cook are able to offer more than 10% for the holiday or will be able to transfer the balance to another holiday but I guess they are within their rights as the onus is on the customer to take out their own insurance. It might be worth asking how your FIL (hope he's recovering well by the way) was able to book the holiday without insurance - you normally have to tick a box to say you have your own insurance if purchased online. If this wasn't the case, maybe they would be more sympathetic to his plight?

Good luck,

Cazz

This is a sobering reminder that you should either have annual insurance in place already , or cover through your bank account or buy insurance at the time of booking.

I have managed to book holidays before through a high street travel agent without buying their insurance. I used to say that my bank account would cover it, however, it wasn't until recently that I learnt that the entire holiday had to be paid via my bank account and not just the deposit. I won't be doing that from now on. I will buy cover at the time of booking.

I always tick the box and only get my insurance after I've booked!!!

So is it £1700 per ticket (FIL and wife) or is it £1700 for both tickets?
Does his wife not have insurance either?

I reckon you should find out exactly what extra will need to be paid to change any details and then offer them in your local paper for maybe £250 to £300 each!!! But expalining there will be an added £20 or so per ticket!
It's not much but it'd be more than what the TO would give you back and someone might snap your hand off! I'd certainly look into it if it was out of term time!!!

Have you tried LOOT newspapers? I've seen loads of hols (under the same kind of situation) offered on there. Hope FIL is feeling better?

Denny

Yes i also said the admag as well.

The holiday is for 2 people and cost £1700 for both tickets (£850 per person) After he booked it, my father in law was taken before he was able to secure travel insurance.

I have been on the phone to Thomas Cook tonight on their behalf, and they have agreed to allow a couple of extra days until Monday evening to cancel the holiday and still get 10% back (£170) or we can change the names on the tickets up until the day before departure.

My mother and father in law feel they are not going to get anything back for it, so they should cut their losses and take the 10% refund, but I am determined to sell this holiday on their behalf, it seems like such a waste.

I have advertised it in our local free ads paper tonight, and let everyone know at work and on facebook as well as ringing everyone we know, telling neighbours and friends. The ironic thing is I could have sold 100 holidays if it was only for 1 week!!

So there we go, I have until Monday night to sell it, so watch this space!!

Still looking for ideas, so if you have any thoughts then let me know!

How about getting a local radio station or even maybe the local news interested? You could always offer to give donation to Children in Need or something if it makes more than a certain amount.

I'm sure with the right publicity you can get more than the TO are offering.

Good luck

I feel very sorry for the predicament your father in law is in.

Got to say tho in response to other responses, we have never been asked for proof of insurance when booking holidays and have recently just booked to El Gouna for xmas and New Zealand in april with a couple of stopover too! We do have annual insurance , but is was never discussed!

Does your FIL belong to a legion or a club? If he does , maybe try in there or even a raffle!!!

We have asked every one we know but I don't think my father in law would welcome the media route as I should imagine it would be quite embarrassing.

It's a good idea about giving money to charity

So, if I can sell this holiday for two people I will give every penny over £500 (after the ticket change charge) to Children in need!

(I was told that it would cost £40 per ticket to change the names).

Do you think this is a good price?

I cant understand why they are charging you £40 per ticket We got charged £10 to change ours.

As for the children in need offer i think its a lovely thought having had a disabled child myself.

Michelle x

Hi Whisper,I have thought about you and you F-I-L all weekend!I asked everyone at our caravan site if they wanted a holiday but because it is from Gatwick no one was interested.I will be in Surrey for a few weeks from next weekend so thats why I sent you a pm.
If only that holiday was for Sharm I would be packing my suit cases!Jay