Hoseasons

[Vaughan]

4 hours ago, Paul said:

limiting their liability if the holiday cannot be taken for reasons outside their own control. It will specify what they will do but will normally exclude a full refund.

As I pointed out earlier, with Richardsons conditions of hire.

[marshman]

I think that the real issue is that companies are still trying to fob people off with credit notes as an alternative to cash refunds, saying the rules have changed. Clearly lots of people want  to rebook and they will, but it won't suit everyone, so where it doesn't I cannot see why cash refunds cannot be made less any appropriate fees.

As has been pointed out, some companies are doing it, so why not others? I am sure it will be sorted somewhere along the line!

[DAVIDH]

7 minutes ago, marshman said:

As has been pointed out, some companies are doing it, so why not others? I am sure it will be sorted somewhere along the line!

I'm guessing it's because Hoseasons (for example) are agents and not owners, so in many instances, the money will already have been passed on to the third party...boatyard, holiday park, cottage owner, other holiday operators. If you're Haven for example, you receive the money from the customer, and it's yours to use or refund. They're not agents and don't need to pass it on to anyone. 

The Covid 19 statement on Hoseasons website. setting out the position for those with bookings can be found here:
https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/covid-19?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200316 HOS Partnership News Weekly Offers&ecrmid=bf0f0c3725623a7dcebe6f415d567dd2&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoseasons.co.uk%2Fcovid-19

It may be just my computer, but when i click on it, the page doesn't launch properly. It seems to be a Chrome problem. However, you can get around it by opening a new "incognito" window and copying the link to that, or using another browser. 

[JennyMorgan]

2 minutes ago, marshman said:

As has been pointed out, some companies are doing it, so why not others? I am sure it will be sorted somewhere along the line!

Exactly.

Hoseasons is doing itself no great favours in going against the decent flow. Companies such as Haven are showing what can and arguably should be done. I think that I speak for the great unwashed majority when I suggest that companies dodging their responsibilities with their cleverly written T&Cs are doing the reputation of the business world no great favours whatsoever. What Hoseasons is doing appears to be reprehensible, what Haven appears to be doing appears to be highly creditable, which company will people turn to in the future? I believe that Haven uses Hoseasons, does this mean that a Haven customer that booked via Hoseasons is treated differently to one that was booked direct? Would the same apply to a Richardson customer?

[Poppy]

11 minutes ago, DAVIDH said:

I'm guessing it's because Hoseasons (for example) are agents and not owners, so in many instances, the money will already have been passed on to the third party...boatyard, holiday park, cottage owner, other holiday operators. If you're Haven for example, you receive the money from the customer, and it's yours to use or refund. They're not agents and don't need to pass it on to anyone. 

The Covid 19 statement on Hoseasons website. setting out the position for those with bookings can be found here:
https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/covid-19?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200316 HOS Partnership News Weekly Offers&ecrmid=bf0f0c3725623a7dcebe6f415d567dd2&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoseasons.co.uk%2Fcovid-19

It may be just my computer, but when i click on it, the page doesn't launch properly. It seems to be a Chrome problem. However, you can get around it by opening a new "incognito" window and copying the link to that, or using another browser. 

Doesn't open on Covid in Firefox either.

[JennyMorgan]

23 minutes ago, DAVIDH said:

I'm guessing it's because Hoseasons (for example) are agents and not owners, so in many instances, the money will already have been passed on to the third party...boatyard, holiday park, cottage owner, other holiday operators. If you're Haven for example, you receive the money from the customer, and it's yours to use or refund. They're not agents and don't need to pass it on to anyone. 

I was wondering if that might not be the problem. Perhaps Hoseasons could do the obvious thing and request a refund from the third party. Hardly rocket science! Surely Hoseasons acts on behalf of  the both parties in any  transaction?

[Poppy]

33 minutes ago, marshman said:

I think that the real issue is that companies are still trying to fob people off with credit notes as an alternative to cash refunds, saying the rules have changed. Clearly lots of people want  to rebook and they will, but it won't suit everyone, so where it doesn't I cannot see why cash refunds cannot be made less any appropriate fees.

As has been pointed out, some companies are doing it, so why not others? I am sure it will be sorted somewhere along the line!

Because 'others have a business model that allows them to spend deposits/payments before the service has been provided - as has been pointed out earlier

[DAVIDH]

1 minute ago, JennyMorgan said:

I was wondering if that might not be the problem. Perhaps Hoseasons could do the obvious thing and request a refund from the third party. Hardly rocket science!

From my experience in the travel industry as an agent, I'm sure they are. Perhaps Haven are amenable to refund to Hoseasons, Perhaps they're not. Haven will still be paying for the upkeep of their infrastructure, all of which would have been financed by customer deposits and balances, so they will be suffering a short-fall in revenue. If you were in that position and only had a finite amount of money to refund, would you give it back to your own direct customers and make other creditors wait? Travel agents are complaining bitterly at the moment that they cannot get refunds for their customers from the big operators, even though these same operators are refunding direct customers. It makes them look bad, but they are not actually holding the money. It's not beyond imagination that an operator is going to try  to preserve it's own reputation ahead of it's third parties.

[DAVIDH]

12 minutes ago, Poppy said:

Doesn't open on Covid in Firefox either

However, you can get around it by opening a new "incognito" window and copying the link to that

[Meantime]

Having read the page that DavidH has linked to I would suggest caution on publicly criticising Hoseasons. Has anyone posting here real world experience of being refused a refund from Hoseasons? Do you personally know someone who has been refused a refund? Or are you just reacting to the Trust Pilot reviews / press reports from disgruntled customers who want instant contact with the company and a refund yesterday? I see nothing on that link that suggests they are refusing refunds. They have said up to a certain date, I would imagine that is a rolling date, they will automatically issue vouchers and urge their customers to accept them. It does also say to ring a number if you want to refuse the voucher or discuss alternatives. It does also explain that their lines are very busy, Surely that is understandable when they may have staff off sick due to Covid, plus a significant increase in calls. Yes I can see getting through being frustrating but what would you expect them to do?

It looks like they are very much following the Ryanair model. Issuing vouchers can be done automatically by a computer system because they have all your details and just issue it based on date range criteria. To issue a cash refund takes a customer service rep to authorise, make contact with the customer and most importantly make sure your bank or credit card details are still current before making a refund. It is a very much more labour intensive process and takes precious staff time which they are short off. Hence it is far easier to issue vouchers and deal with the people who want a refund when they make contact, acknowledging that may take some time.

 

[Meantime]

Might I also suggest that making comparison between Potters and Havens which are holiday parks and Hoseasons which are an agent is a little like comparing apples to pears. If only for the fact that with their parks closed they will have furloughed a good number of employees, but could also have redeployed a fair number to temporarily bolster the admin and booking team and therefore reduce contact time to the customer. Hoseasons cannot do that and will have the reverse problem of less staff due to sickness.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

36 minutes ago, DAVIDH said:

I'm guessing it's because Hoseasons (for example) are agents and not owners, so in many instances, the money will already have been passed on to the third party...boatyard, holiday park, cottage owner, other holiday operators. 

Talking to someone who used to run a holiday boat hire yard the other day and he said even back then Hoseasons wouldn`t hold deposits in a seperate account incase they went under and there was the odd times where they didn`t get their money until after the boat had been out and returned. 

[Poppy]

I walked into the bank this morning and the staff were all wearing masks.

 

Finally some honesty.....

[JennyMorgan]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/business/east-anglian-based-hoseasons-says-doing-all-it-can-to-deal-with-holiday-cancellations-1-6637647

[marshman]

Good - nonetheless I see they only altered the options to include a cash refund when reminded by the CMA last week that they had to!!!!

Alls well that ends well..!!!

[Paul]

On 04/05/2020 at 10:14, OldBerkshireBoy said:

Talking to someone who used to run a holiday boat hire yard the other day and he said even back then Hoseasons wouldn`t hold deposits in a seperate account incase they went under and there was the odd times where they didn`t get their money until after the boat had been out and returned. 

Way back when, in the days that Hoseason's were owned by Jimmy and still had it's offices in Oulton Broad we used to book and pay the deposit to Hoseasons then sent the balance to the yard along with the little slip with extras needed like b+w tv for 5/- a week and grocery list.

[pastboating]

Talking of Jimmy Hoseason 30 years ago I had booked a canal boat 10 months early and when the brochure came through the boat layout had been changed and was no longer suitable. A phone call arranged for a change with no problem but  I was concerned that if I had not studied the new brochure I would not have known. In those days there was a letter in the front of the brochure signed by Jimmy Hoseason. I did not know if he existed but decided to write to him explaining my concerns. Three days later I received a phone call from him thanking me for my letter apologising for not alerting me and saying he was pleased to know we had found another boat and wishing us a very good holiday. Three months later we went on the holiday and returned home on the Saturday. The very next day the phone rang it was Jimmy asking us if we had a good holiday and if everything was o.k. That was for me someone who however big his company was  still considered his individual customers. Those were the days.

[Vaughan]

33 minutes ago, pastboating said:

In those days there was a letter in the front of the brochure signed by Jimmy Hoseason. I did not know if he existed but decided to write to him explaining my concerns.

 

From Hoseason's catalogue of 1971.

This bears out what I said on a different thread, that Jimmy would at least have made sure his phone got answered!

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Paul said:

Way back when, in the days that Hoseason's were owned by Jimmy and still had it's offices in Oulton Broad we used to book and pay the deposit to Hoseasons then sent the balance to the yard along with the little slip with extras needed like b+w tv for 5/- a week and grocery list.

Your deposit effectively being their commission thus all that Hoseasons, and maybe Blakes too, would have to have returned was that deposit. 

[JennyMorgan]

Jimmy and his pipe, evil smelling thing! The advertising agency maintained that a man with a pipe portrayed a trustworthy family man. In Jimmy's case that was perfectly true! I don't doubt for one second that Jimmy would have immediately responded without having to be told to do so.

[ZimbiIV]

Funny isn't that companies today forget that reputation they have/had was built up by someone providing good service to customers.

Good enough reputation for them to buy the company.

Now the profit margin is more important today than that reputation is for future profit.

paul

[Poppy]

15 minutes ago, ZimbiIV said:

Funny isn't that companies today forget that reputation they have/had was built up by someone providing good service to customers.

Good enough reputation for them to buy the company.

Now the profit margin is more important today than that reputation is for future profit.

paul

Share price is everything.  Directors arerewarded with share options . Nothing else matters !

[Dan]

Integrity seems to be quite rare, but it maybe always was as I think he was quite remarkable at the time as well

Companies seem to have realised that the message needs to be 'we are on your side/will do right by you', but without the integrity of someone genuinely believing in it or living those values the insincerity of it is normally revealed

Dan 

[deebee29]

Just had a call from Hoseasons regarding our cancelled holiday from April and they have issued a full refund.

Taking a voucher for us was not an option for us as mum is now 89 and her mobility is not what it was.
This year was going to have to be our last holiday anyway so booking for a year or more in advance is not something we can do.

Edited May 8, 2020 by deebee29
Sorry meant to post on Hoseasons thread

[SwanR]

1 hour ago, deebee29 said:

This year was going to have to be our last holiday anyway so booking for a year or more in advance is not something we can do.

I wanted to "like" your post because you got your refund, "thank you" for letting people know that but also express my "sadness" that you can't make this trip now given its possible meaning for you and the fact that simply moving it to next year is not an option.