Hi All,
I am really new to this so apologies if this is not everyone’s cup of tea.
my father recently broke the news to us that our mum has been diagnosed with cancer is her bowel and kidneys which the doctors can’t do anything more expect manage the pain and keep her comfortable. The diagnoses was around 4 weeks ago and my father booked a holiday last year for them to go away on 19th June. Obviously this isn’t going to happen which he notified the company straight away but refusing to refund my father.
if it was a few hundred pounds I would give it to him but it’s £3,500 which they are not going to refund. I’m sure this isn’t right and believe that as the circumstances have changed and mum cannot travel surely they should give him a refund?
appreciate this might not be the forum for this but both my parents are worried about this along with everything else and wondered what can be done to get the money and the worry off their minds.
if anyone can offer any advice that would be great!
Doug
Hi Mclovin1 and welcome to the Online Community but so sorry to hear about your mum's diagnosis and the challenges you are all having.
A cancer diagnosis like this in the family can be such a challenging and stressful time but getting support from others who are dealing with the ‘exact same' support challenges can help a lot.
The Community is actually divided into Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) and when it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting family and friends you may benefit from joining and posting in our Carers only and Supporting someone with incurable cancer support groups where you will connect with others navigating the exact same support challenges.
To join a group first click on the “Bold Link” I have created above then once the group page opens click on “Click to Join” when the black banner appears or “Join” under “Group Tools” (this all depends on the device you are using)
You can then put up your own post when you’re ready by clicking “+new” or “+” in the top right next to the group title. You can copy and paste the text from this post into your new post. You can also scroll through other members posts and click “Reply” to get involved.
As for a refund on the cost of the holiday..... did they have Travel Insurance in place before they booked the holiday?...... if not, a refund may be difficult to get......... but could i suggest that you call the Macmillan Support Line that is open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00 and talk with our financial guidance team.
Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
Hi Mclovin1, sorry to hear your news, I have no information generally for the problem they are having but I have been there not with Cancer but other famiy medical issues and it is usual for the Insurance Company not to pay out. My Isuggest that you post on the Insurance Forum as someone may have an answer or help.
https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_experiences/travel-insurance-forum/#
Hope the treatment goes OK
Tony
We will move mountains to help people with cancer live life as fully as they can.
We'll do whatever it takes. For information, support or just someone to talk to,
call 0808 808 00 00 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk
Onwards and Upwards
Voicebox Cancer- Laryngectomy 2020 and Oesophagus survivor 2022
Adminitrative Assistant at Frimley Park Hospital, Cancer Support Hub
Hi Mclovin1
I’m sorry to read of the situation your parents have found themselves in. Did they take out travel insurance at the time of booking the holiday? If they did, then the insurance company is the first port of call.
If they did not take out any insurance then I’m afraid then refunds are not usually an option. Was it a package holiday or did they book independently with hotels and flights separately?
If it’s a package holiday, then the company should have reminded the person booking that they needed to have travel insurance (somewhere in the paperwork) or they would have offered to provide insurance through their own agent. The holiday company would have no obligation to make a refund, not even in your parents’ circumstances, if there is no insurance as they would consider it the customer’s responsibility to have arranged it.
If the flights and hotel were booked separately by your dad, there may have been some flexibility from them but I see the travel date has passed, and unless they had been advised in advance of the travel date, your parents would have been classed as “no shows”.
I have had to make a claim personally as I was diagnosed with cancer on the day I was due to go on holiday. I had insurance in place and they paid the claim with no queries after getting confirmation from my consultant.
I’m really sorry for the situation you find yourselves in on top of a cancer diagnosis, but I don’t think that you have any chance of a refund unless it’s an insurance claim. Holiday companies can seem very heartless, I understand that, but they are under no obligation to provide a refund if trips are not taken. Changes of circumstance don’t matter to them unfortunately. Sorry to be the bearer of news you will not want to hear.
Sarah xx
