Exclusive story in the SUNDAY MIRROR newspaper today. 
Tricia Tovey contacted me at Featureworld to gain justice. When her husband Mark was diagnosed with terminal cancer, that was devastating enough. But when on his consultant’s advice they decided to cancel their honeymoon – because he might not be well enough to go and in fact he might not be alive then – the couple were stunned to be slapped with a cancellation charge of £1250.15. This was on top of £500 deposit they’d already paid when they originally booked the trip last November. And it isn’t as if they were cancelling at short notice. As well as providing the consultant’s letter, they were not due to go on their £6,500 luxury holiday to Mexico until February 2012.
Naturally the couple, who expected to lose their deposit, queried the charge. They also asked if there was another holiday they could go on while Mark was well enough to travel – but claim this was ignored. And because they took too long to pay, they were then threatened with legal action.
By the time Tricia contacted me they’d already paid over the money – because, as Tricia said, they didn’t want the stress of legal action hanging over them.
Having seen letters from The Holiday Collection Group I placed the story with the Sunday Mirror newspaper. A spokesman for the Global Travel Group trading as The Holiday Collection Group later told me at the time of booking Tricia agreed to take out travel insurance but did not. They also claim they tried to assist the couple with another holiday. However, despite this, as a gesture of goodwill they will reimburse the cancellation fee of £1250.15.
I was delighted to have got this fee back for this lovely couple. Sadly following the diagnosis, in March Mark was given 18 months to live and the couple who met on a dating website, moved their wedding forward from next February – they since married in June.
Tricia says: “Thank you so much. I cannot believe the amount of stress all this caused us as such a difficult time. Thank you again for all your help – you’ve been fab.”
Do you have a consumer issue to highlight? Maybe you feel you have been treated unfairly by an organisation and are seeking justice. If so you can contact me here: Story in the press for justice.
