I thought this matter had been resolved. Some weeks ago people were complaining an I suggested approaching the media about the shabby treatment - I even wrote to one newspaper about it and then Shearings started to refund. It would seem they have now gone back on this.

According to Simon Calder when he was interviewed TOs must refund your money within two weeks if they cancel a holiday. Shearings are a TO so are bound by those rules.

I have looked in their T&Cs for the cancellation policy but cannot find it. There must be a policy and the credit note route they propose cannot be legal in my view. I have been on a couple of their coach trips in the UK and they do seem to be for the older person so people cancelling for health or fmily reasons must happen. I used to book a year in advance but as I have got older I tend to book neareer the departure date - I have no idea if we will be fir enough (or even around( so far in front.

I can only suggest going down the road I have suggested - spread it across the media. I do suspect much of what is beng posted on Facebook is rubbish and has been orchestrated - no sensible person is going to give someone their money with no guarantee they will ever see it again - are they?

I have seen suggestions elsewhere that people should go down the Small Claims Court route - that is probably the best way but I wonder if Shearings like many more of these companies have any money. Policy for so many is to borrow heavily and cream off the cash - Thos Cook did.

Cynical me!

Just read this.

Have a look here at the comments re Shearings - It makes the interesting point that these companies are supposed to be bonded - is that yet another con trick - Just words. I do think this comment really sums the whole thing up.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-8210573/Can-boss-make-holiday-anywhere.html

'You can understand why travel companies are offering customers credit notes rather than refunds as coronavirus
is an unprecedented event that will hit tourism hard.'But they are required to give you a refund if you demand one. If they do not, then raise a dispute with your card provider.

Yes it is unprecedented but that is thir problem. We also have been hit with this with mny suffering a big drop in income. Unable to rebook holidays as they would have to be cleared with our employers with no guarantee they would be approved. Shearings (and the other TOs ) are in breach of contract if they cannot supply the product, do not know if they can supply it in the future yet refuse to return the money - They will be very quick to ask for the balance and will cancel the holiday if not paid by the due date and will invoke T&Cs for cancellation charges - double edged!

On 10th April 2020 at 04:13pm, cyprus100 said:
Shearings coach holidays are ABTA registered: ABTA NUMBER: V6468 but refusing to refund on cancelled holidays due to the Coronavirus.
However, they were offering full refunds up to mid March - then stopped.

It appears from their many supporters on facebook in the main Shearings page and various "fan" groups/pages the majority of customers are perfectly happy with the offer of a credit note and clamouring to rebook.

So, based on that information you would think they would be only too happy to refund those of us, if we are led to believe by their comments, the small minority of us who cannot rebook for various reasons.

Sadly, this is not the case - so we're all ending up with duff Holiday Credit Notes with an ABTA protection as far as 31 July 2020. Shearings want us to use these notes to rebook a holiday as far in advance as December 2021.
That seems like madness to me, if the vouchers are only protected for 3 months!

Is there still a legal company on this group who we can contact?
We're currently up to around 40 members on a facebook group seeking the best method for a group action to get our money back.
If there is such a company, we fully expect our membership to grow....

Any help will be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

Talk with Trading Standards and consider taking action through the Small Claims Court. Look hre for information on how to do it.

https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money

The idea of handing out Credit Notes to be redeemed against a future holiday is, in my opinion at least underhand. Holidays are often booked for a particular reason - Birthday, Anniversary and such so the rebook is a waste of time when it is after the event. My wifes birthday was last week and normally we would go away for it, of course the virus thing meant we did not go. Why would you want to rebook for another date the reason for the holiday has passed. There is also of course the cost involved, from what I have read people taking credit notes are being quoted higher prices when they try to redeem them for future dates.

They are of course in Breach of Contract - you booked a holiday they cannot deliver so you are entitled to your money back. Any referance to ABTA T&Cs is just a Red Herring. They are a company that trades in their own right and they have their own T&Cs - they cannot use somebody elses T&Cs as an excuse.
If you sue through the small claims court of a class action you cannot sue ABTA - they are simply a trade body your contract is with Shearings. If they do not have the money then they are insolvent and trading illegally.

Specialist Leisure GroupLimited which includes Shearings, National Holidays, Wallace Arnold and Bay
Hotels have gone into administration.

More information here.
https://www.specialistleisuregroup.com/

Very sad for the older generation that used to book with these to get out and visit some wonderful parts of the UK, we used to have alot of bookings in our group.

Unfortunately the industry is on its knees so I suspect there will be more that will not last the summer.

With any luck a coach operator will have the vision to pick up the network from sherarings and national etc.